Midlands man dies after a house fire that’s under investigation, SC coroner says
A Midlands man died after being pulled from a burning building, the Saluda County Coroner’s Office said.
Timothy Bruce Smith, a 72-year-old Leesville resident, was identified as the victim, the coroner’s office said in a news release.
First responders, including the Saluda County Fire Service and Saluda County EMS, found Smith inside a structure fire early Thursday morning, according to the release. The fire was in building in the Circle area, off Columbia Highway/U.S. 378, that served as Smith’s home and business, the coroner’s office said.
Smith was flown to Prisma Health Richland in Columbia, where he died that afternoon, according to the release.
No cause of death was reported.
No other injuries were reported.
Information about how long it took to extinguish the fire and the extent of the damages was not available.
There was no word about the cause of the fire, or where it started, but both the blaze and Smith’s death are being investigated by the coroner’s office and the Saluda County Sheriff’s Office, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and Saluda County Fire Service. Officials did not say if foul play is suspected.
