Three people found dead inside burning SC home, and fourth hurt in fire, coroner says
Three men were found dead inside a burning home, and a fourth man was hospitalized Wednesday, according to the Sumter County Coroner’s Office.
Sumter residents William Murray, 57, John Elswick 26, and Robert Blackowicz, 23, were pronounced dead at the scene of the house fire, Coroner Robbie Baker said in a news release.
The fourth man was taken to the Augusta Burn Center in Georgia to receive treatment for injuries he sustained in the fire, according to the release. Further information on that man’s condition was not available.
No other injuries were reported, and there was no word if anyone else was in the home at the time of the fire.
At about 3 a.m., emergency responders went to the burning building near the 5000 block of Alcott Drive, the coroner’s office said. That’s in the Wedgefield area, where a mobile home park is located.
Information about how long it took to extinguish the fire was not available.
There was no word on the extent of the damages, or if the home was considered a total loss.
The cause of the fire is being investigated by the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, South Carolina State Fire Marshal’s Office, ATF in addition to the coroner’s office, according to the release. There was no word if foul play was suspected.
Information about the men’s causes of death was not available, but autopsies have been scheduled for Friday at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, the coroner said.
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This story was originally published December 14, 2023 at 10:10 AM with the headline "Three people found dead inside burning SC home, and fourth hurt in fire, coroner says."
