Woman’s body found after fire at home in Columbia, police say
A body was discovered inside a home in Columbia after an overnight house fire was extinguished, the Forest Acres Police Department said Tuesday.
The Richland County Coroner’s Office said Tawarna Mitchell, 65, was killed in the Monday night fire, according to a news release from Forest Acres Police Chief Don Robinson.
The fire at 5432 Pinestraw Road was reported at about 11 p.m., Robinson said. That’s a few blocks from the intersection with U.S. 1/Two Notch Road.
Information on how long it took for the blaze to be put out by the Columbia Fire Department was not available.
When the fire was extinguished, Mitchell was found, police said.
The coroner’s office said Mitchell’s cause of death was fire related injuries and smoke inhalation, according to the release.
Mitchell’s son also lives at the house, but was not home at the time of the fire, police said. Another relative was staying at the home and escaped the building, according to police.
No other injuries were reported.
The fire was contained to Mitchell’s bedroom, where it started, and a nearby bathroom, according to the release.
There was no word on the extent of the damage caused by the fire.
The Richland County Fire Marshal said the fire was “accidental in nature,” according to the release.
“Smoking materials were a contributing factor to the ignition of the fire,” the fire marshal said.
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The Richland County Fire Marshal’s Office has ruled a deadly house fire in Forest Acres at 5432 Pinestraw Road is accidental in nature. FAPD Chief Don Robinson agrees with the findings and the investigation into 65-year-old Tawarna Mitchell’s death will be closed as an accidental fire.
According to the Fire Marshal investigation, the fire started in a bedroom and spread to a nearby bathroom. The Fire Marshal also states, “smoking materials were a contributing factor to the ignition of the fire.”
This story was originally published February 22, 2022 at 9:02 AM.
