Friday, Feb. 05, 2010

Blaze kills Horry County man

First fire death in over a year

A Green Sea-area man was killed in a fire Wednesday, making his the first death in Horry County related to a blaze in more than a year, said Leslie Yancey, Horry County Fire Rescue's public information officer.

No fatal fires were reported in the county last year, she said.

Robert Lee Burnett Nixon, 48, died Wednesday from carbon monoxide inhalation, said Horry County Deputy Coroner Tony Hendrick. Hendrick could not be sure if Nixon lived alone or if anyone else was in the home before the fire began.

Authorities said a passerby reported the fire at 3800 Fairview Highway around 11:30 p.m. Wednesday. Firefighters arrived within minutes and found the home engulfed in flames, but they quickly got the fire under control, Yancey said.

Once the flames were knocked down, fire crews began searching the home and found the body inside, Yancey said.

Carolyn Lupo, who lives across the road from where Nixon lived, said she didn't know him but felt sad and disturbed about the accident when the owner of that land told her Thursday morning that someone died in the fire.

Lupo said she was awakened Wednesday night by highway traffic and saw a light in the sky. She then went to her side door and saw the house across the road from her home on fire. She said she saw flames coming from the roof.

"I saw it very clearly," Lupo said about the fire. "I was wondering if anybody was in the house or in the fire or escaped."

No firefighters were hurt and nine fire units responded to the incident.

Horry County police are investigating the fire, Yancey said. No cause has been determined.