Family escapes safe as fire breaks out at Fort Mill townhome

FORT MILL, S.C. — A young family with a newborn escaped safely after a fire broke out at a townhome on Grantham Place Drive in Fort Mill.

About six agencies responded to the fire and extinguished the flames in approximately 20 minutes.

Special firewalls extending through the roof prevented the blaze from spreading to neighboring townhomes, though residents in adjacent homes were temporarily displaced.

Asif Haroon, a neighbor in the community, said he heard a loud explosion before noticing smoke and fleeing his house.

“Well, I heard an explosion, like something loud, like a bang,” Haroon said. “And I looked through the window, and I saw some of the neighbors running, just panicking. And I looked over, and I saw the smoke.”

Haroon immediately evacuated with his pet. “So I grabbed my dog and we just, I just left the home, just ran to the corner at least,” he said.

Todd Wiesner, chief of the Flint Hill Fire Department, said all occupants in the burning home and the adjacent houses on both sides had already evacuated by the time fire crews arrived.

“Anytime they can get out before we get there is a good day. So luckily when we got there everybody was out of the house and the house next to it on both sides,” Wiesner said.

He noted that the construction of the building played a critical role in containing the destruction.

“So with those firewalls, it goes through the roof. And so without that firewall, it could have been a lot worse,” Wiesner said.

Neighbors reported that the family lost all of their possessions in the fire. Angeria Wizzart, another neighbor, expressed support for the young family.

“I know that he worked in the medical field. And he’s a nice young man. You know he has a family, and all this happened. I know it must be devastating,” Wizzart said.

Haroon said community members are gathering items to assist the family.

“We’re gonna do some donations and clothes. And I don’t know exactly what they need right now, but we’re trying. We’re gonna get to get in through some stuff for sure,” Haroon said.

While preliminary observations indicate the fire may have started near the garage, the fire marshal is investigating the exact cause.

©2026 Cox Media Group