By FireRescue1 Staff
DORCHESTER COUNTY, S.C. — While a firefighter was on duty during Hurricane Matthew, he responded to a fire at his own address — twice.
Lt. John Wagers was on duty Oct. 9 when he answered a call at his home. An unattended candle had started a fire, but Wagers and his colleagues extinguished the blaze before it worsened. Hurricane Matthew had knocked out electricity in the area.
Six hours later, Wagers returned to his home, only to find everything inside completely destroyed.
“We went and sent multiple crews in to check for hotspots and extensions,” Wagers said. “Somehow through the night, the wind found the smallest ember and pushed it.”
No one was injured during the blaze.
“It was probably one of the most gut-wrenching feelings I’ve ever had,” Wager told ABC News. “I was hoping when we got here it would be just a small fire; it happens sometimes where we just get here quick enough but when we got here, it wasn’t. It wasn’t that small.”