SC woman escaped house fire with 2 pets but died after returning inside, officials say
A South Carolina woman initially escaped a fire at a mobile home Saturday but died after going back inside the residence, officials said.
The fire occurred in the Indian Land area of Lancaster County. The woman was identified late Monday as Ji Wen Yang, 53, of Indian Land, said Karla Knight-Deese, Lancaster County Coroner.
The fire department was dispatched around 4:30 a.m. Saturday at a mobile home on Mountain Ridge Court, said Knight-Deese and Darren Player, Lancaster County Fire-Rescue Director.
Yang was the only person in the home, Player said.
Yang escaped the mobile home with two animals but Player said she went back inside the home. Officials did not say why she returned inside. Firefighters later found her deceased inside, Player said.
Officials have not released the cause of the fire, but it’s not believed to be suspicious, Player said.
The Lancaster County Fire Marshal, sheriff’s office and State Law Enforcement Division responded to the scene and are investigating, Player said. SLED is part of any fire investigation where there is a fatality, Player said.
The area of the fire was in the panhandle of Lancaster County, south of the North Carolina border with Charlotte. The fire scene is near the Catawba River, east of U.S. 521 and west of Fort Mill. Firefighters from Indian Land, Pleasant Valley, Van Wyck and Fort Mill departments responded to the fire.
This story was originally published December 6, 2021 at 7:12 PM.
