Train sparks miles-long trail of fires in Jackson area

JACKSON, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - A train started a string of fires that stretched two to four miles in the Jackson area late Wednesday afternoon.

Starting around 5:15 p.m., crews rushed to the scene to find dozens of fires surrounding the area of Main Street and Old Jackson Highway.

They got the railroad to shut down train traffic so they could battle the smoky fire on both sides of the track.

Calls went out to at least four fire departments to send brush trucks to help battle the fire.

As of 11:17 p.m., crews were still out on the scene., according to the South Carolina Forestry Commission.

We spoke with one of the crew members from the Jackson Fire Department.

Teamwork is the word that sums up what was seen on the train tracks as the Jackson Fire Department was joined by Beech Island, New Ellenton, Silver Bluff, and other surrounding fire departments to put out the fire and make sure no one was hurt.

The smell of burning wood and smoke is still fresh in the Jackson air hours after the fires started.

“It was traveling towards the field. We started noticing that there are a lot of homes out here. So it was a quick action to get down there and knock the important hotspots out,” said Jackson Fire Captain Keaton Sizemore.

As smoke filled the air for miles, the Jackson Fire Department worked fast thanks to a call from a nearby homeowner.

“They were looking down the line and noticed that there was a fire on both sides of the line, so they did the right thing and called 911,” said Sizemore.

Windy and dry conditions on a day with an elevated fire risk caused smoke to travel as crews worked to put out the fires.

Keaton says that wind could’ve made this much worse.

“It can change in a heartbeat. The wind pattern can shift these fires in all kinds of different ways. We’ve had a good bit of rain, but no rain is enough,” he said.

Sizemore says in an area where homes are hard to reach, he’s grateful for the teamwork they saw.

“It’s a blessing. We go back and forth with these departments. We have mutual aid agreements, and we have each others’ back at the end of the day, so if one needs us here or they need us there, we’ll come,” he said. “After a long hard day at work, they come home, and this is what they’re dedicated to doing.”

The fire department is still investigating what started the fire. We’ve reached out to Norfolk Southern and CSX to see which company may be investigating.

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