FOX Carolina 21Old building codes likely caused apartment fire to spread quickly

Old building codes likely caused apartment fire to spread quickly

More than 30 people are without a home this weekend after fire ripped through two apartment buildings in a Greenville County complex Friday night.

It happened a little after 9:30 p.m. at the Lakecrest apartments, off East North Street in the Wade Hampton fire district.

Fox Carolina was first on the scene.

Saturday afternoon, crews put up fences to block the burned buildings, and re-hab crews worked to clean water-damage in nearby apartments.

Wade Hampton Fire Department spokesman, Taft Matney, said their crews arrived Friday night, just two minutes after they were called. Matney said the fire started in one third story unit, went quickly into the attic, and spread down the length of the building, and into a second building.

Fire officials say without fire-walls to slow the spread of fire, this one was particularly difficult to contain.

"When these units were constructed, the building codes were different than they were today, which now require the firewalls," said Matney. "When the new buildings are constructed, the new buildings will then meet the construction codes for 2011."

Many residents were taken back to a fire at the same complex that ripped through just over a year and a half ago.

"I remember when these [apartments] were built and they were called The Landing," said neighbor, Carol Bunting, who lived in the building that burned in March of 2010, "and I was in my early 20s then, and I'm way in my 60's now, so [the apartment buildings] are over 40 years old."

Lakecrest's building C remains under construction, and fire officials say it will meet 2011 building codes, with firewalls.

We called the apartment complex Saturday afternoon office for comment, but off-site leasing office receptionists said staff won't be available until Monday morning.

Fire officials say the cause is still undetermined, but that the Greenville County Sheriff's Office will continue its investigation Monday.

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