South Carolina

Firefighters find lifeless man inside burning home, South Carolina officials say

The South Carolina man whose body was recently found inside a house fire was identified by the Richland County Coroner’s Office on Monday.

Todd M. Hackett, a 60-year-old Hopkins resident, is the victim who was found in the 500 block of Harmon Road March 20, Coroner Naida Rutherford said.

At about 5:40 a.m. March 20, firefighters responded to a reported fire at the Harmon Road home, the Columbia Fire Department said on social media.

At the home, firefighters saw fire throughout the building and entered through the rear of the property, according to the fire department. The firefighters extinguished the blaze as they made their way to the front of the home, the fire department said.

During searches of the home an unresponsive man, later identified as Hackett, was found in a front bedroom and crews moved him outside then called the coroner’s office, according to the fire department.

No cause of death has been shared by the coroner’s office, which said it’s continuing to investigate the death with the fire department.

No other injuries were reported.

Information about the cause and origin of the fire was not available, but it’s being investigated by the Richland County Fire Marshal’s Office. Officials did not say if foul play was suspected in the fire.

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This story was originally published March 23, 2026 at 9:11 AM with the headline "Firefighters find lifeless man inside burning home, South Carolina officials say."

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Noah Feit
The State
Noah Feit is a Real Time reporter with The State focused on breaking news, public safety and trending news. The award-winning journalist has worked for multiple newspapers since starting his career in 1999. Support my work with a digital subscription
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