Seven Killed in House Fire
                            Batesburg-Leesville, South Carolina
                                       May 24, 1993

       An early morning house fire killed seven of the eleven people staying 
there.  The victims included three adults and four children.  Two women and 
their babies escaped with only minor injuries. 

       Firefighters were called to the single-story wood frame home at 
12:05 a.m. EDT.  When the first firefighters arrived 3 minutes later, 
they found fire showing from the front window and door of the home.  

       Firefighters attempted to enter the home to rescue the occupants 
through a rear door which opened into the kitchen but found it blocked by 
four unconscious victims.  All four were pronounced dead at the scene 
after being removed by firefighters.  They were later identified as a 56-
year-old male, a 41-year-old male, a 62-year-old female, and an 8-year-
old boy.  Firefighters later found a 2-year-old boy near the front door 
in the living room.  The remaining two children, 3 and 5 year old boys, 
were found in a rear bedroom where they apparently fled to escape the fire 
in the living room where they had been sleeping.

       Batesburg Fire Chief Sandy Spradley reported that one of the women 
who escaped awoke to find the bed in the living room on fire.  She reportedly 
fled the fire through the front door with her baby.  Once she reached the 
porch she laid her baby down and was preparing to reenter to rescue others 
when the living room apparently reached flashover, blowing out the front 
window.  Due to the intensity of the fire, she was unable to reenter the 
building and retreated to safety.  The other woman who escaped, reportedly 
fled through a bedroom window.

       Chief Spradley reported that the accidental fire started in a living 
room being used as a bedroom.  He believes the fire was started by careless 
use of smoking materials but has not yet ruled out all other possible causes.  
No smoke detectors were found during overhaul or the subsequent origin and 
cause investigation.

       Batesburg-Leesville is a consolidated town of 10,000 residents located 
30 miles southwest of Columbia.  The fire department consists of 35 volunteer 
members and operates two engines, two tankers, and a rescue squad.  Chief 
Spradley reported that approximately 20 of the departments members responded 
to the fire.

Contacts:

Chief Sandy Spradley
Batesburg Fire Department
(803) 532-4408

Submitted by: 

Mark Chubb
(410) 465-4596
CompuServe 72233,3461