Burton Fire District, Jasper County Fire-Rescue send crews to battle mattress factory fire

FAIRFIELD COUNTY, S.C. (WTOC) - Hundreds of firefighters from across South Carolina are battling a massive, multi-day blaze at a mattress factory in Fairfield County.

The facility, which has been described as a workplace for thousands of residents, has been declared a total loss.

It is estimated to be the size of seven Walmart stores and has been burning since Sunday. While most of the active flames have been subdued, extreme heat conditions and highly flammable materials inside the building have caused the fire to rekindle repeatedly.

Statewide Mobilization and Mutual Aid

The massive scale of the fire triggered a statewide firefighter mobilization, bringing in specialized crews from across the state under a mutual aid agreement designed to support local departments during major emergencies.

Among those called to the front lines was a three-man crew from the Burton Fire District in Beaufort County.

“It was an absolutely, ‘When do we leave?’ and it was, ‘Be here in an hour ready to go,’” Burton Fire District Captain Andrew Wright said. “So, we gathered our things and hit the road.”

The Beaufort County crew was dispatched Monday night, driving several hours before embarking on an intensive nine-hour suppression shift near Columbia.

Captain Wright described the scene as organized and effective, despite the scale of the disaster.

“Controlled chaos. It was very well organized through the state,” Wright said. “All the resources were there, they were staged, and everybody was doing what they needed to do. So, we were just there to do our part.”

Millions of Gallons of Water and Heavy Machinery

During their shift, the Burton crew worked tirelessly to contain and suppress the fire, pouring 21,000 gallons of water onto the flames and making 20 separate trips to refill their truck’s water tank.

“That’s a lot of water,” Burton Fire District Assistant Fire Chief Dan Byrne said. “There’s no doubt that they made an impact.”

The crew’s primary objective was to contain the flames overnight until heavy machinery could arrive on Tuesday morning.

Once on-site, the heavy equipment was used to pull back large pieces of the collapsed building’s structure, exposing deep-seated hot spots and hidden fires so ground crews could douse them directly.

“We’re very fortunate to be in a position that when a mobilization request is put out that we have a Fire Chief who is supportive of it 100%, so he has no problem putting us on the road,” Wright added. “We’re very fortunate that we were able to help this time.”

Ongoing Firefighting Efforts

The battle to extinguish the fire remains ongoing, and the demand for additional personnel is critical due to the combination of combustible mattress materials and the grueling summer heat.

“I think they needed bodies in this heat and probably needed the extra gallons of water to make sure this thing gets cooled off and put out,” Byrne said.

In addition to the Burton Fire District, other Lowcountry agencies have joined the effort.

A four-man crew from the Jasper County Fire Department departed early Tuesday morning to assist with ongoing fire suppression and hotspot cooling.

Local officials expect crews to remain on-site for the next several days to monitor the ruins and prevent any further rekindling.