Sample News Story: Fire downtown at Music Farm, leaves one in critical condition

Sample news story written in COMM 310 about a fire that broke out at a Charleston, SC music venue. Information in this story is fiction and used solely for academic purposes.

An electrical fire broke out at the Music Farm late Thursday night, leaving a band member in critical condition after suffering third-degree burns

Jake Johnson, banjo player for Green Levels—one of the two bands headlining the event— is in critical condition at MUSC after he ran back into the fire to gather band equipment, according to the police report.

Thirteen others were injured and admitted to the emergency room after the fire—eight were released for minor injuries, and five stayed overnight but are in stable condition.

Investigators believe a faulty wire was the cause of the fire.

Music Farm owner Pat McAuley said the building is set to close indefinitely due to sustained damages of $350,000.

Charleston firefighters responded to the fire just after 9 p.m. and arrived at the scene within three minutes of a 911 call from one of the 250 people who attended the concert online via Facebook Live.

A full-capacity crowd of 800 safely evacuated the building that was ablaze for nearly an hour.

Charleston fire chief Susan Rico was grateful for how quickly they moved people away from the venue to put out the fire.

“We were really lucky to get everyone out before the building collapsed in flames,” Rico said. “Given all the panic from people getting messages from friends online, it’s remarkable the evacuation was as smooth as it was. The outcome of a fire this dangerous could have been much, much worse.”

A loud pop sound occurred around 9:15 p.m. followed by a cloud of smoke behind the stage. People watching online realized something was wrong, and one viewer called 911.

College of Charleston student Madison Wakins described the chaos in the room after everyone heard about the fire.

“It was totally crazy. One minute I’m drinking beer and dancing and singing along, and next we’re all running through smoke to get out the door,” she said. “Also, I’m really glad someone watching online was paying attention and decided to call 911. Thank you to whoever that was!”

Jeff Crimley saw the smoke from his phone screen and decided to warn everyone in the comments on Facebook before calling 911.

In an interview after the fire, Crimley explained what was happening in his head once he posted his comment.

“It was so bizarre,” he said. “I figured people would think I was just trying to be funny online but you could see so much smoke and a tiny flame. I couldn’t tell if anyone onstage was noticing so I thought I’d call 911 just to be sure. So glad I did.”