St. Andrews Fire Department

08/07/2026

Last night, St. Andrews Fire Department responded alongside our automatic aid partners at the Charleston Fire Department, North Charleston Fire Department, and Charleston County EMS to a residential structure fire in the 2300 block of Oakland Road.

Crews arrived in less than 5 minutes to find a working fire and were informed that a resident might still be inside the home. Crews immediately initiated an aggressive fire attack while simultaneously searching the residence. The fire was brought under control in approximately 15 minutes.

Tragically, one individual was located deceased inside the home.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the St. Andrews Fire Marshal's Office, with assistance from the Charleston County Coroner's Office and the Charleston County Sheriff's Office.

We extend our deepest condolences to the family, friends, and all those affected by this tragic incident. We also thank our firefighters for their professionalism and dedication throughout the response.

07/10/2026

We are proud to recognize Chief Fire Marshal Kevin Berkel for accepting the 2025 Fire Safe South Carolina designation on behalf of the St. Andrews Public Service District at last month's South Carolina Fire-Rescue Conference.

This recognition reflects our continued commitment to community risk reduction, fire prevention, and public education. We are especially honored that St. Andrews Public Service District has earned this designation every year since the Fire Safe South Carolina program began in 2017, a testament to the dedication of our Fire Marshal's Office and every member of our department who works to keep our community safe.

Congratulations to Chief Fire Marshal Berkel and our entire team on continuing this tradition of excellence!

07/08/2026

If you're an experienced Firefighter/Driver ready to join our team, we'd love to hear from you.
Apply today: https://www.standrewspsd.org/employment

07/03/2026

We're Hiring – Direct Hire Firefighter/Driver

Looking for a department that puts its members first? At St. Andrews Fire Department, we're committed to building a member-focused culture where our firefighters are supported, valued, and equipped to succeed.

We're proud to offer a member-driven 48/96 work schedule that reflects our commitment to listening to our team and supporting a healthy work-life balance.

If you're an experienced Firefighter/Driver ready to join our team, we'd love to hear from you.

Apply today: https://www.standrewspsd.org/employment

04/27/2026

This past Saturday, our crews from St. Andrews Fire Department teamed up with incredible volunteers from Hendrick of Charleston for a highly successful Smoke Alarm Blitz in the Ponderosa Community.

We visited 44 homes and installed an outstanding 151 smoke alarms, helping ensure more of our residents have the early warning they need to stay safe.

A sincere thank you to Hendrick of Charleston and Lowe’s of West Ashley for generously donating the smoke alarms that made this effort possible.

We also want to extend our appreciation to all of the volunteers from Hendrick of Charleston who gave their time to support this initiative.

Partnerships like these are critical to advancing our Community Risk Reduction mission and strengthening the safety of the St. Andrews Public Service District we proudly serve.

04/17/2026

SC Forestry Commission to issue statewide burning ban; restriction on all outdoor burning goes into effect at 7 a.m. Friday

COLUMBIA—The South Carolina Forestry Commission is issuing a State Forester’s Burning Ban for all counties, effective at 7 a.m. Friday, April 17.

A State Forester’s Burning Ban prohibits all outdoor burning, including yard debris burning, prescribed burning, campfires, bonfires and other recreational fires in all unincorporated areas of the state.

Forestry Commission officials cite a particularly dangerous mix of elevated wildfire risk factors through the weekend that warrant limiting all ignitions in the interest of public safety.

Rapidly escalating drought conditions across the state, a critical decrease in relative humidities over the next several days and gusty winds that are expected to accompany an approaching cold front will combine to create extreme fire danger.

"When it’s this dry – energy release component values are at high-to-critical levels – we’re just as likely, if not more, to see wildfires that are fuel-driven rather than wind-driven. Add the other volatile conditions of increased wind and lower relative humidity, and it becomes an especially precarious situation,” said SCFC Fire Chief Darryl Jones. "These conditions not only increase the likelihood of wildfires igniting easily and spreading rapidly, but would also make them more difficult for firefighters to control.”

While the ban does not apply to fires used for the preparation of food or fires used in appropriate enclosures (portable outdoor fireplaces, chimineas or permanent fire pits constructed of stone, masonry, metal or other noncombustible material that conforms with all applicable South Carolina fire codes), Forestry Commission officials urge the utmost caution burning outdoors under these exemptions.

Likewise, citizens should exercise extreme vigilance operating any equipment that could create sparks, avoid parking on dry grass and refrain from using fireworks.

The ban will stay in effect until further notice, which will come in the form of an official announcement from the Forestry Commission.

Shareable release:https://www.scfc.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Advisory-StateForestersBurningBan-20260416.pdf

04/11/2026