Fire destroys Elm Street home

Fire lit up the sky around Elm Street on Thursday evening and displaced five people. An exact cause for the blaze at 305 Elm St. hasn't been determined but firefighters could not rule out an electrical problem. (Ledger photo / TIM GULLA) A steady rain did little to aid Gaffney firefighters Thursday evening as they fought a blaze on Elm Street.

Older construction didn't help them at all either.

Fire broke out at 305 Elm St. just before 9:30 p.m. Thursday and gutted the two-story structure, displacing two adults and three children.

Gaffney Fire Chief Nathan Ellis said the blaze started in the kitchen area of the home, though the cause of the fire remains unknown. Ellis said he could rule out the kitchen stove and other common sources of kitchen fires, but could not rule out an electrical problem. He said the homeowners reported multiple electrical problems in the house, including circuit breakers that would trip.

Despite a fast response by firefighters, there was little they could do to stop the spread of flames from the lower level to the second floor and attic.

Ellis said the older home had numerous void spaces in the walls that allowed the fire to spread upward. In addition, fire compromised the stairwell leading to the second floor and partially collapsed the flooring, forcing firefighters to fight the blaze on the upper levels from the exterior.

Unfortunately, he said, "We could put all the water we wanted through the second floor windows. It (the water) wasn't getting into the attic."

Firefighters made an initial entry into the home but were forced to back off when the massive build-up of heat caused the contents of the first floor to ignite because they had reached a flash point.

Multiple times firefighters knocked down the flames inside the second level of the home but the blaze lingered, sending orange balls of fire out windows and holes that burned into the sides of the home. Firefighters were on the scene for several hours.

Ellis said the home is owned by Latasha Manning. She along with another adult and three children were displaced by the fire. The American Red Cross of Cherokee County was called to the scene to render assistance.

Ellis said the Red Cross arranged temporary accommodations.

No one was injured, Ellis said.

The home was insured.

Due to the size of the fire, Gaffney Fire Department received assistance from other fire departments. Corinth Volunteer Fire Department sent both trucks and firefighters to the scene, while Grassy Pond Volunteer Fire Department moved trucks and personnel into downtown Gaffney to cover any additional calls while the city firefighters were battling the blaze.