The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) usually makes it simple enough to purchase stamps, check your P.O. Box, or ship out returns while you're out and about checking things off your to-do list. But sometimes these services are interrupted, which may leave you in a bit of a pickle. The Postal Service does inform residents when a post office will be closed via its Service Alerts, but if you don't have a chance to check, you might be greeted by an empty parking lot and locked doors when you arrive. Now, the USPS has announced new disruptions in two states—so you'll want to be aware if your local office is affected. Read on to find out where the USPS just suspended services.
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A fire broke out at a South Carolina post office.
ShutterstockOn June 13, the USPS announced that the services at the Clearwater Post Office in Clearwater, South Carolina, are being temporarily relocated. Operations at the post office, located at 4425 Jefferson Davis Hwy, have been suspended due to a fire, according to a press release from the Postal Service.
Residents will need to travel to the Bath Post Office in Bath, South Carolina, for both retail and P.O. Box services "until further notice," the release states. To pick up P.O. Box mail, customers need to present photo identification.
"We sincerely apologize for this inconvenience to our customers," the release reads. "The Postal Service appreciates its customers and thanks them for their patience as restoration efforts are underway."
An investigation is ongoing.
Christopher Penler / ShutterstockPer the USPS news release, the decision to relocate services was in consideration of "the safety of our customers and employees."
According to ABC-affiliate WJBF, the fire broke out in the front corner of the building around 4 a.m. yesterday morning. The post office building was "fully engulfed" when firefighters arrived, prompting them to call for mutual aid, according to WJBF. The outlet also reported that no one was inside the post office at the time.
Corey Ray, public information officer for the Charlotte Field Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), told the Aiken Standard that both the ATF and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service are assisting local agencies with an investigation.
In an email to Best Life, a spokesperson for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service confirmed that the the fire is "an active investigation and details cannot be shared at this time."
Retail services are suspended at a post office in North Carolina.
ShutterstockA post office in Mouth Holly, North Carolina, is also dealing with disruptions, according to the USPS Service Alerts page.
The retail window at the Mount Holly location is undergoing maintenance, the Postal Service said, although there were no additional details about the work being done. The P.O. Box section remains open.
While the window is closed, customers who require retail services will need to visit the Stanley Post Office, located at 301 Mt. Holly Road in Stanley, North Carolina. According to the USPS website, retail services include buying postage, shipping supplies, and filling money orders, among other offerings.
Best Life reached out to the USPS about the Mount Holly closure as well, but has yet to hear back.
Two other post offices closed earlier this month.
iStockJust last week, the USPS also informed residents in New Mexico that the Tularosa Post Office is temporarily closed.
The USPS didn't provide reasoning for why the post office was shut down; however, on the "Making a Difference Tularosa" Facebook page, a member said that a "hazardous spill" prompted the closure.
On June 5, the Postal Service also shuttered a facility in Pikeville, Kentucky, which will remain closed "until further notice." Officials from the Pikeville Police Department confirmed that the roof partially collapsed at the Pikeville Commons apartment complex, which houses the post office, CBS-affiliate WYMT reported.
