PTSD:Firefighter's life unraveled after tragic blaze

Firefighter's life unraveled after tragic blaze
By Glenn Smith (Contact)
The Post and Courier
Thursday, May 7, 2009



The dreams arrived like clockwork at 2 a.m., carrying Clinton Jones back to the night that changed him.

Searing images of smoke, flames and destruction filled his head as Jones tumbled out of bed and tore apart his room. Searching. Hunting. Desperate to find someone to rescue.

Jones would tear a path into the kitchen before the dream's jagged grip loosened its hold, leaving him shaken, empty, scared.


On June 18, 2007, Jones battled the raging inferno that destroyed the Sofa Super Store in West Ashley and killed nine fellow firefighters. In the early hours of his 35th birthday, he helped carry his friends' burned bodies from the ruins. Jones walked away, but part of him was lost that day as well.

At age 36, Jones' career as a Charleston fire captain is over. In March, he took early retirement after post-traumatic stress disorder left him unable to do his job. After the fire, he suffered from panic attacks, anxiety, anger. He could no longer handle the responsibility of commanding a crew, fighting fire and making sure his men came home alive. All those things that had been second nature for so many years.

His problems also caused him to give up the once-successful plumbing business that helped support his family. Jones now takes medications to sleep and function. He spends most of his days at home or holed up at a hunt club in Berkeley County where he goes to escape people. When he does venture out, to a meeting or one of his children's sporting events, he avoids groups and hugs the exit seat, to be sure of a quick escape. His old life is gone.
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Firefighter life unraveled after tragic blaze