Advertisement

Woman killed in house fire that is being investigated, SC cops say

A woman was killed Monday in a house fire that is under investigation, the Union County Sheriff’s Office said.

At about 8:30 a.m., deputies said they responded to a structure fire at 122 Pinewood Acres Road. That’s in Union, not far from U.S. 176.

Deputies learned that two people, along with several animals, had escaped the fire but a woman was still inside the home, according to the sheriff’s office.

Both deputies and firefighters made multiple attempts to rescue the woman, the sheriff’s office said.

After firefighters had extinguished the blaze, the woman’s body was found in a bedroom of the home, according to the sheriff’s office.

The Union County Coroner’s Office said the victim was 71-year-old Martha McKinnon, WSPA reported.

No cause of death was determined, but an autopsy is scheduled for Thursday, according to WHNS.

No other injuries were reported.

The sheriff’s office said the cause of the fire was an accident, but announced it is continuing to investigate the blaze, along with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division’s Arson Unit and the coroner’s office.

“Please pray for a family that lives in our fire district who had a family member perished in a house fire this morning,” the Monarch Volunteer Fire Department said. “Also pray for the firefighters, EMS and law enforcement personnel that responded.”