Attempt to Refill Kerosene Heater Leads to Deadly Fire in Gaffney, SC
New York Daily News
(TNS)
Four people, including an infant and a 4-year-old, were killed while trying to escape a South Carolina house fire that erupted early Sunday after an attempt to refuel a kerosene heater went awry, authorities said.
Fire had already engulfed the house when Kathy Shippy, the only person to escape, ran across the street at 1:40 a.m. Sunday and got a neighbor to call 911, Cherokee County Coroner Dennis Fowler said in a statement to local media.
“A doorbell camera on the neighbor’s house shows the structure was fully involved with fire at that time,” Fowler said in the news release, according to WLOS-TV.
Willie Morris, 38; Dakeyia Shippy, 25; 4-year-old Mason Issac, and 7-month-old Jerekry McGill all perished, Fowler said. Their relationship to one another was not immediately clear, but Fowler said they all lived together in the home.
“Kathy Shippy said Morris was attempting to refuel a kerosene heater inside the home when fire erupted,” Fowler said, according to WYFF-TV. “All four victims were found on the floor of the kitchen at the rear of the house and appeared to have been trying to escape through a window when they were overcome by smoke.”
The Gaffney City Fire Department emphasized the importance of fire safety and urged residents to review protocols.
“A tragedy struck our community with the loss of life to four members of a Gaffney family,” the fire department said in a social media post. “We cannot stress enough, now that winter is upon us, to not fill your kerosene heaters inside your house.”
Officials also urged residents to review the city’s fire-safety videos; October is Fire Prevention Month.
“Help us help you to keep your family safe,” the fire department said. “We continue to pray for this family during the coming days and ask that you pray for this family” and everyone else involved “as they deal with this tragedy.”
Likewise, the Gaffney Police department asked “our community to join us in sending thoughts and prayers to the families affected by the tragic house fire that claimed four lives early this morning.”
The Cherokee County Coroner’s Office, Gaffney Fire Marshal and the State Law Enforcement Division are all investigating, and autopsies have been scheduled.
Gaffney is an approximately 12,500-population city about 110 miles northwest of Columbia, the state capital. The Cherokee County seat, Gaffney is known as the “Peach Capital of South Carolina” and is home to the Peachoid water tower.
©2025 New York Daily News. Visit nydailynews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.