Christmas Eve house fire kills 1 in Lexington County

One person died on Christmas Eve in Lexington County after their home caught on fire, Lexington County said Tuesday night.

Police and firefighters responded to the fire before 7:30 p.m. Tuesday on the 400 block of Gardners Terrace Road — near the county’s Dixiana community — after 911 was notified of the fire, Lexington County said on its Facebook page.

Heavy smoke and flames were seen coming from the home, the county said.

Though one person escaped, the county said another person became trapped and was eventually removed from the home, given CPR but died from their injuries. The State has not been able to verify the name and age of the person who died.

One firefighter was treated at the scene for minor injuries.

The county said the home is a total loss.

“Our hearts go out to the family and friends of deceased,” Lexington County said on Facebook.

The State Law Enforcement Division is investigating the cause of the fire, a standard procedure in cases of fatal fires.

SLED spokesman Tommy Crosby said the agency’s arson unit is assisting with the investigation.

This story was originally published December 25, 2019 at 9:45 AM.

Maayan Schechter

The State

Maayan Schechter (My-yahn Schek-ter) is the senior editor of The State’s politics and government team. She has covered the S.C. State House and politics for The State since 2017. She grew up in Atlanta, Ga. and graduated from the University of North Carolina-Asheville in 2013. She previously worked at the Aiken Standard and the Greenville News. She has won reporting awards in South Carolina. Support my work with a digital subscription