Three people killed in Lexington County fires, South Carolina coroner says
In a span of six days in the same South Carolina county, three people were victims of fire-related deaths, according to the Lexington County Coroner’s Office.
The first fatality happened after a fire Sept. 9, the coroner’s office said in a news release.
The fire happened at about 2 a.m. at the Acapulco Campground by Lake Murray in the Leesville area of Lexington County, Coroner Margaret Fisher said in the release.
Jeffrey Morris Williamson, a 50-year-old Blythewood resident, was taken to the Augusta burn center where he was pronounced dead on Sept. 10, because of the injuries he suffered in the fire, according to the release.
No other injuries were reported in that fire.
Information about what caused that fire was not available, but the deadly blaze is being investigated by the Lexington County Fire Service, Lexington County Sheriff’s Department and the ATF.
There was another death Saturday following an unrelated fire.
At about 4 a.m. Saturday, there was a house fire in the 1600 block of B Avenue in the West Columbia area of Lexington County, Fisher said in a release.
Lila Ann Gunter, a 65-year-old West Columbia resident, died at the scene of that fire, according to the release. No cause of death was announced, but Fisher said an autopsy has been scheduled at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston on Wednesday.
Along with the coroner’s office, Gunter’s death and the cause of the fire is being investigated by the West Columbia Police Department and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.
No other injuries were reported in Saturday’s fire.
There was another fire-related death in Lexington County over the weekend.
This fire happened at about 8 a.m. Sunday, at a home in the 300 block of Schofield Road, Fisher said in a release. That’s in the Gilbert area of Lexington County.
Luther Vern Price, a 74-year-old Gilbert resident, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the release. Again, no cause of death was announced, but an autopsy has been scheduled for Monday, the coroner’s office said.
No other injuries were reported in Sunday’s fire.
Price’s death and the cause of the fire are being investigated by the coroner’s office in addition to the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, Lexington County Fire Service, SLED and ATF.
Officials did not say if foul play was suspected in any of the three deadly fires.
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