Report: Hunting group attempting to move stuck truck starts forest fire

COLLETON COUNTY, S.C. (WCSC) - Lowcountry emergency officials say a forest fire started when a hunting group attempted to move their stuck truck from the mud.

Officials with Colleton County Fire and Rescue say the vehicle was destroyed and several acres of woods burned after a pickup truck caught fire at a hunting club off of Three Mile Road on Saturday.

According to a report, the driver of the truck was hunting with several friends when his truck became stuck in the mud along a power line.

“In the process of trying to move the vehicle, the truck set the the surrounding dry grass on fire,” CCFR officials said. “They even used another truck to drag the burning pickup truck away from the wooded area in an effort to prevent the fire from extending into the woods.”

The fire was located off of dirt road approximately a mile into the woods from the 1000 block of Three Mile Road. Emergency officials said fire-rescue units could see a column of black smoke from Winchester Road.

On arrival, crews reported finding a fully involved Chevrolet Pickup truck, and the fire had already entered a wooded area south of the truck.

“Dry conditions and light winds quickly spread the fire,” CCFR officials said."A tractor from the Forestry Commission was requested as Firefighters used hand tools and back packs to try and control the blaze."

According to authorities, much of the fire was not accessible to fire apparatus, and crews slowed the advance of the blaze until the Forestry Tractor could cut a line around the fire.

“The pickup truck was destroyed and the woods fire was contained to approximately five acres,” CCFR officials said."Fire-Rescue units were on the scene for 2 hours."

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