Pelion, SC (Paul Kirby) – An overnight fire has claimed the life of one person after a home burned in the 500 block of Tindall Road. This is southeast of the Town of Pelion. The fire consumed the structure despite the best efforts of county firefighters who arrived to find the home well involved. It appeared to have been burning for some time before it was reported.
Tindall Road runs between US Hwy 178 and Cedar Creek Road not far from Aiken county. Decades ago, a developer subdivided portions there that were just fields or woods. They were instead made into lots. These parcels were then touted as mini ranches. Independent minded people could buy acreage and have horses, other farm animals, and lots of privacy. To get more lots out of a parcel, the developer created flag lots. These have long, narrow drives that then open into a larger “flag” portion for the home. These are behind lots and can be difficult to see from Tindall Road. There are still larger property owners in that area that own hundreds of acres and are actively farming it today.
Although the fire was reported later Thursday after dark, officials from several agencies were there all night. Beside Lexington County’s fire service, EMS, and sheriff’s deputies, several other investigators were also there from Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher’s office. SLED was also notified which is standard procedure for fatal fires in Lexington County. The last Lexington County unit turned the scene over to SLED agents and left after the scene at 4:30 a.m. Friday.
It may be some time before any cause and origin of this fire will be determined because the home was destroyed. Coroner Fisher will almost certainly send the victim for an autopsy, most probably at MUSC in Charleston. She will not notify the public of the identity of the victim until all family members of the decedent are notified. The SLED agents’ work may also take some time to complete.
