Cause of fire that killed Columbia man determined by Richland County officials
A Columbia man who was killed in a house fire has been identified by the Richland County Coroner’s Office.
An autopsy showed Clarence Collins, 48, died of smoke inhalation in Friday’s fire, Coroner Gary Watts said in a news release.
The blaze occurred in a Columbia home at 1940 Burton Street, according to the Saturday news release. That’s in between S.C. 277 and Two Notch Road, near the intersection with Fontaine Road.
The Columbia Fire Department responded to the fire at about 6:30 a.m. and saw flames coming from one side of a mobile home, spokesman Mike DeSumma told The State Monday.
Collins was pulled out of the burning building, and no one else was found inside, according to DeSumma. No other injuries were reported by the coroner’s office.
Collins died at the scene, Watts said.
Collins lived at another residence, about three miles away from the Burton Street home, according to the release. Information on what Collins was doing at the Burton Street home was not available.
The Richland County Fire Marshal investigated the fire and determined it was caused by unattended cooking, according to DeSumma.
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This story was originally published October 18, 2020 at 10:11 AM.
