Custom Pool Builder in Kershaw, SC

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KERSHAW COUNTY, S.C. (WIS) - The Kershaw County Council unanimously approved an ordinance that majorly restricts where stores selling hemp and synthetic cannabinoid products are able to be located within county limits at its meeting on Tuesday.

New retail establishments that plan to sell these products may be built and operated only in general development zoning districts. They are prohibited in all other districts.

None of these establishments may be located within 500 yards of a religious institution, school, park, playground, community center or another hemp retail establishment.

These products must be kept in locked displays or behind a service counter and can only be sold from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Consumption of hemp or synthetic cannabinoid products will not be allowed on site at these establishments.

Stores that are already established and sell hemp or hemp-derived products in non-general development zoning districts will be permitted to remain open, provided they comply with the ordinance’s new restrictions.

The council noted in its ordinance that although South Carolina passed the 2019 Hemp Farming Act, legalizing products with a Delta-9 THC concentration less than or equal to 0.3%, hemp or synthetic-hemp products are not regulated, resulting in a “significant regulatory gap.”

Some lawmakers at the State House are seeking to regulate these products, initially debating two bills: one to further regulate their sale and another to outright ban them.

These bills ultimately got sent back to committee after an emotional debate on the House floor.

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A wildfire near Ivybush Trail burned an estimated 55 acres and jumped several roads as crews from several counties worked to contain it on Saturday, officials say.

KERSHAW COUNTY, S.C. — Officials say a fire that burned several acres in Kershaw County and prompted responses from fire departments across the region is now contained.

According to the South Carolina Forestry Commission's maps, the fire was first reported in the 700 block of Ivybush Trail near Holland Lane and Bluff Road in the Shepard community.

Kershaw County Emergency Services Director Will Glover initially estimated that the fire, which was first called in around 1:20 p.m., burned about 100 acres and some uninhabited structures. He said they later determined that the fire burned about 55 acres and said that seven unoccupied structures had burned.

Property owners in the area described a chaotic and frightening scene as they worked to protect their homes.

Justin Poe, whose property sat in the middle of the fire zone, said he had to rely on his own well water and hose system to keep the flames at bay.

“Yeah, in the middle of the field it looked like a warzone. Flames looked like they were six to eight feet high,” Poe said. “I turned the well on and ran those spigots full go, hoping to flood areas to get them wet.”

Poe said he was especially concerned about a recently installed propane tank near his home.

“We just installed a big propane tank on the other side, and I was worried about the fire getting to that,” Poe said. “It was blowing towards the house, so I tried to get a wet line there, and we stopped the fire at about 40 feet from the house and about 15 feet from the propane tank. So, we got really lucky.”

Crews from Chesterfield, Lancaster, Lee and Sumter counties responded to assist, and several bulldozers were brought to the scene to help contain the fire. Earlier in the afternoon, officials also requested an aerial response to help put out the fire.

No injuries or missing livestock were reported, but seven abandoned buildings were destroyed according to fire officials. Poe said his family is grateful the damage was not worse.

“I was just thankful that nothing happened to the dogs, nothing happened to the cows and saved the house,” Poe said. “We have some burnt pasture and some infrastructure, but other than that, no one got hurt. We’re pretty happy about that.”

Fire officials say crews will continue monitoring the area overnight for smoke and lingering hot spots.

William Glover with the Kershaw County Fire Department said some smoldering is expected but remains within containment lines.

“There’s still going to be smoke and hot spots, but those are within the breaks,” Glover said. “Those will continue to smolder overnight. We’ll remain in the area just to make sure everything stays within the breaks.”

Glover said he was unaware of any injuries. He said around 4:15 p.m. that the fire was 80% contained, and it was completely contained later that evening. The cause is still under investigation.

Fire officials said that smoke will likely linger, and drivers should still use caution.

Official drought maps show that the entire state of South Carolina is under some level of drought, with the worst conditions in the northwestern reaches. However, most of Kershaw County is currently under a moderate drought.

A Kershaw County house fire early Friday resulted in the death of 65-year-old Ronnie Grant, marking the area's first fire fatality in five years.

KERSHAW COUNTY, S.C. — One person is dead following an early morning house fire in Kershaw County.

Kershaw County Central Dispatch received a 911 call at 3:30 Friday morning reporting a residential house fire in the 1200 block of Bishopville Highway.

The fire had been burning for some time before the call was made, according to Kershaw County Fire Chief Matthew Bullard, who was at the scene.

“We did find the house was fully engulfed. The roof had actually already began collapsing and had collapsed in on the house when we did arrive,” Bullard said.

The home is set back behind brush and woods and sits in a rural area. Bullard said they usually receive more than one call for structure fires.

“I believe that the thick wooded area did also make it very difficult as far as seeing anything, and like I mentioned, there was only actually one caller, which is typically unusual," Bullard said. "Most of the time, anytime we have a working house fire, normally you see it where there is multiple callers that have called it in.”

Around 20 first responders responded to the fire between Kershaw County Fire, EMS and the Camden Fire Department.

Kershaw County Emergency Services Director Will Glover said it took about 45 minutes to get flames under control.

Once the flames were controlled, firefighters were able to get inside the home, where they found 65-year-old Ronnie Grant. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

“Not every situation is preventable, and we have been very fortunate here in Kershaw County to where it has been right at five years since we have actually had a fire fatality.”

The cause of death is unknown at this time and an autopsy is scheduled. The cause of the fire is also not known at this time.

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is still investigating the fire.