Woman hospitalized after Burton fire

A Burton woman was hospitalized Tuesday with smoke inhalation after she tried to rescue her dog from her burning home.

Firefighters were called Tuesday morning to Colonial Drive to reports of a structure fire inside a single-wide mobile home, but quickly found the fire to be larger than originally anticipated, said Chief Harry Rountree of the Burton Fire District.

"Upon arrival, we found a single-wide trailer with a double-wide trailer attached to it in the shape of an L," he said. "Flames were rising from the windows."

Rountree said firefighters battled the blaze for more than 20 minutes.

"It was a pretty tough fire," he said. "The home was very full of furniture and other belongings. It packed a pretty good fight."

The woman, whose name was not release, was taken to Beaufort Memorial Hospital for treatment of smoke inhalation. Her condition was not available Tuesday night.

Rountree said it is believed that she was trying to fight her way through the flames and smoke to rescue a small dog inside the home. The dog was killed in the blaze.

The home was considered "a total loss," after suffering extensive heat and smoke damage. The Red Cross was called in to assist the woman, Rountree said.

The Burton Fire District is working with the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office to investigate the cause of the blaze, which is thought to have been started in the single-wide portion of the home.

Rountree said the fire department only works with the Sheriff's Office when a fire's cause is suspicious in nature.