Hartsville teen dies in fire
by REBECCA J. DUCKER
A Hartsville teen died in an early morning fire Friday in Hartsville.
Ashly Wilson, 17, was pronounced dead at 2 a.m. Friday morning, Darlington County Coroner Todd Hardee said in a release sent to area media.
An autopsy was performed Friday but the cause of death remains unknown, according to Hardee’s release.
Hartsville firefighters, with assistance from Darlington County units, responded to the fire at 1404 Flag St. at 12:55 a.m.
According to neighbors at scene, the home was engulfed in flames by the time they got outside.
“All we could see is fire. The whole house was already into big flames, the fire trucks had already gotten here,” neighbor Henrietta Prescott said.
“I was in my bed and my dog kept trying to break in the back door,” another neighbor, Rosa Mack, said. “My granddaughter came and got me and when we went out side all we could see was red flames. The flames were huge.”
Prescott, who has lived in her home for 36 years, said she talked with the man living inside the Flag Street home.
“The guy that lives there said his car exploded, and caused the fire. He got out and was trying to get his girlfriend out, but he said the smoke was so strong that he had to let go, and so I think that is what caused her to not get out,” she said.
Harttsville Interim Fire Chief Greg Hickey said the fire, which destroyed the two-story ranch home, was accidental although the State Law Enforcement Division has not made a decision about the specific cause of the fire.
The death is being investigated by the coroner’s office, Darlington County Sheriff’s Office and SLED.