Salem House Fire

Firefighters battled for more than an hour to put out a fire at 405 Evergreen Trail in the Salem area Saturday afternoon.  Oconee County Fire Chief Charlie King reports that at 1:55pm, dispatchers received a call with the caller stating she felt her house had been struck by lightning and was filling with smoke. Firefighters arrived within ten minutes to find the lakefront home full of smoke, coming from the roof. Both occupants had made it out safely to meet the arriving responders. Firefighters from across northern Oconee and Pickens counties worked for over an hour to bring the fire under control. The home suffered significant damage on two of the three stories. Chief King said that the home did have an operating smoke detector and alarm system. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Two firefighters were treated and transported to Oconee Medical Center with heat related injuries. More than 75 firefighters worked the scene. Agencies operating on the scene were the Salem Fire Department, Pickett Post – Camp Oak Fire Department, Keowee Fire Department, Keowee Ebenezer Fire Department, Corinth – Shiloh Fire Department, West Union Fire Department, Walhalla Fire Department, Vineyards Fire Department in Pickens County, Shady Grove Fire Department in Pickens County, Salem Rescue Squad and Walhalla Rescue Squad.