A Friday morning house fire at a residence in southeast Charleston led firefighters to battle flames as well as subfreezing temperatures.
No one was injured.
The mercury stood at about 10 degrees when the fire was reported at 9:07 a.m.
Two Charleston Fire Department pumper trucks and more than a dozen firefighters responded to the scene at 137 Eve St., situated off Holly Street in an area commonly referred to as Adams Quarters.
Despite firefighters' efforts, the house was a total loss.
Willie McGowan, who was living in the house that he was renting from a relative, said he had left a short time earlier to go to a store in town and was notified of the fire by cellphone.
"I've lost everything except what I have on," said McGowan, standing outside the burning structure.
"It might have been some kind of electrical problem," he added. "My neighbor said the lights flickered."
Firefighters reported they were leaving the scene at 10:35 a.m.
The low had dipped to 5 overnight as an arctic front blasted through the area, packing 20-40 mph winds that plunged wind chill factors to as low as 15-20 below zero.
