Ten Clemson University students had to be evacuated after a fire gutted their apartment building early Saturday morning.
The Clemson Police Department says that a fire erupted around 7:40 Saturday morning at Golden Woods Apartments in Clemson. According to the Police Department, when rescue personnel arrived on scene they found the building on fire with flames penetrating the roof line.
Ryan Smith was home when the fire broke out. "It was pretty much well the entire top story. It was so much smoke you couldn't see," the Clemson student said.
Bharat Bhut says he only had enough time to grab his international papers and run out the door. "We were looking at the fire and it was spilling onto the first apartment to the second and almost the third," he said.
Fire officials tell News Channel 7 that the fire was contained to the upper levels of the apartment, though the lower levels did suffer smoke and water damage. Firefighters managed to contain the fire and all ten students residing in the building managed to be evacuated without any injuries. Damage to the building is estimated to be between $150,000-200,000.
The American Red Cross and Clemson University have assisted the students, who have been placed in a local hotel, while the investigation is on-going. Officials say the fire appears to have been an accident and potentially started from an electric space heater thatw as being used in one of the apartments.
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