Columbia man who died after early morning fire identified by Richland County coroner
One person died Tuesday after an early-morning house fire, the Columbia Fire Department said.
Robert Hipps Jr., a 95-year-old Columbia resident, was the victim of an early morning fire, Richland County Coroner Naida Rutherford said.
At about 5:30 a.m., firefighters responded to a burning building on Wilkes Road, according to the fire department. That’s in Columbia, in the area between North Main Street and Farrow Road.
The fire broke out in a bedroom, and firefighters were told a person was still inside the home, the fire department said.
While still fighting the fire, emergency responders found Hipps inside the bedroom, and he was removed through a window, according to the fire department.
Hipps was taken from the scene by Richland County EMS, and the Richland County Coroner’s Office was ultimately called, the fire department said.
No other injuries were reported.
The fire was brought under control and extinguished, but information about how long it took to extinguish was not available.
The fire department said the blaze was caused by a space heater.
Information about the extent of the damages, and if the home was considered a total loss, was not available.
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This story was originally published March 21, 2023 at 10:39 AM.
