The remains of two people killed in an early morning house fire in Pawleys Island were recovered late this afternoon. The victims’ names have not been released.
The tragedy occurred at 157 Windy Lane. Responders from Midway Fire Rescue arrived on the scene at 5:43 a.m. The fire was already fully involved and later spread to neighboring homes before being extinguished. There were no other injuries. One person escaped the fire and did not need medical treatment. That individual is receiving assistance from family and friends, said Mark Nugent, Midway Division Chief.
The two people killed in the fire were a married couple in their 70s, Nugent said. The Coroner’s Office will release their names at a later time.
Nugent said smoke detectors in the house were working and helped alert the victim who escaped the house to the fire. The individual thought the other occupants of the home had already made it outside.
As is protocol when a fire results in a fatality, the fire is under investigation by the State Law Enforcement Division, which is being assisted by the Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office, the State Fire Marshal’s Office and the Midway Fire Marshal’s Office. The cause of the fire has not been determined.
Midway received assistance in extinguishing the fire from several departments, including Georgetown County Fire-EMS, the City of Georgetown Fire Department, Murrells Inlet-Garden City Fire Department and Horry County Fire Rescue.
“This is the kind of day we all dread,” Nugent said. “Our deepest sympathies are with the loved ones of those who were killed today.”