Smoke billowed out of the shattered windows of a gray two story duplex located at 180 Pacolet Street in Tryon around 4 p.m. Dec. 3.
Dispatchers received an initial call that the home was on fire at 3:29 p.m. Resident Mark Reeves, who lived in the right section of the home, said he pulled up just in time to see smoke begin to seep out of the house.
“I came home an not two minutes later saw smoke, so, I went back to my truck and grabbed my fire extinguisher but when I tried to go upstairs the smoke and the fumes were just so strong, I had to stop.”
Initial reports from Fire Chief Joey Davis indicate the fire started in the left side of the home where three rooms received the majority of the damage. He said there is possible smoke damage in the right portion of the home as well.
Tryon, Columbus, Saluda and Landrum fire departments all worked the scene along with Polk EMS and Polk police. The fire was contained by 4:01 p.m. at which time Davis said the departments planned to allow the home to cool before going back inside.
The home belongs to Ed Lubin who purchased it in 2000 and has rented it out as a duplex many of those years.
The woman living in the left side of the home would not provide her name for this story.
Reeves said he believes she has lived there for almost eight years. Reeves himself had moved into the duplex in May.