An Upstate restaurant owner is suing the of Town of Clinton and Laurens County after a fire destroyed their business.
The Owner of House Of Pizza has filed a suit alleging that both Clinton and Laurens County were responsible for the slow utility response times and inadequate water pressure contributed to the building being totally destroyed.
The fire happened back in August of 2024. Fire crews arrived and determined they could not apply water to the building while the electrical system was still on. They then had to wait for utility personnel to cut off the power. The suit alleged it took nearly 25 minutes for the electric service to be shut off. The court filing says the town of Clinton did not maintain an emergency disconnect switch on the property which forced utility workers to have to come to the scene to shut the power off, which contributed to the business being destroyed.
The back porch of the building then collapsed. The town of Clinton later blamed Laurens County dispatch for not relaying the need for the emergency shutoff of the power. Firefighters also encountered issues with water pressure to municipal fire hydrants. Fire department incident logs documented that leaders had to request a pressure boost from the city filter plant.
The suit claims there was gross negligence by both the town of Clinton and Laurens County. The plaintiff has requested a jury trial and is seeking compensation for the lost property, equipment, inventory and income.
