Horry County coroner identifies man who set house on fire, killing him and his dog
Authorities have identified the man who set his house on fire, taking his own life and that of his dog, after police arrived to evict him.
Andrew Brent Lewis, 49, died of injuries sustained in the house fire Wednesday, said Horry County Deputy Coroner Michelle McSpadden.
Lewis had barricaded himself in his home on Water Tower Road in the Longs area, said Tom Fox, chief deputy with the Horry County Sheriff’s Office. Lewis then set the home on fire.
The sheriff’s office was there to evict Lewis, police said.
“It didn’t take long for the building to be fully engulfed,” Fox said Wednesday. “No one could make entry in the building, so they had to establish a perimeter and extinguish the fire.”
Heavy smoke could be seen for miles around as the house burned.
Fox said the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, or SLED, is investigating the arson.
This story was originally published October 21, 2021 at 1:06 PM.
