Conflicting Reports Follow Fatal S.C. Fire

GREENVILLE COUNTY, S.C. --

A fire claimed the life of a Greenville County man Thursday morning, and led to conflicting reports from the sheriff's office.

The fire started on the back porch of this home on Wallace Street.

It happened at a home on Wallace Street in the Dunean Community.

Parker Fire District Chief Richard Jones said they received several 911 calls about the fire just before 9 a.m.

Fire trucks arrived within two minutes. The house was fully engulfed.

Firefighters made an attempt to locate the victim, but they had to pull back because of the intensity of the flames.

Minutes later they discovered the body of a man on the back porch of the house.

According to initial reports from investigators, the victim had recently been on oxygen, but those reports were later revised.

The first e-mail from Deputy Matthew Armstrong, public information officer of the Greenville County Sheriff??s Office at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, said, "The deceased male was on oxygen and smoking tobacco products just prior to the fire and is discovered on the back porch of the residence. At this time the fire is not deemed as suspicious."

Just after 1 p.m., Armstrong sent a second e-mail saying, "I wanted to clarify an item related to this story that I was asked about. The victim was last seen this morning smoking a cigarette on his back porch around 7:15 a.m. According to a female who resides at the residence, the victim was not actively using his oxygen at that time. The female left the residence shortly thereafter and returned to find the fire department on scene."

The victim's identity has not been released. The investigation into the fire is continuing.

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