The Columbia-Richland fire chief has filed a defamation lawsuit against the South Carolina IAFF for comments following the 2023 death of a firefighter.

In addition to the organization, Fire Chief Aubrey Jenkins' suit also names its president, Roger Odachowski.

Following the death of Irmo Firefighter James Muller in an apartment fire, the union blamed Jenkins for “years of neglect and deficiencies,” WIS reported.

Muller and other firefighters were trapped under debris on the second floor following the collapse of a fourth-floor loft bedroom. Others managed to escape.

It took crews about 45 minutes to free the firefighter, who was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

In news releases that were posted on social media after Muller's death, the IAFF wrote that Jenkins’s leadership had resulted in “severe staffing issues, nonfunctioning apparatus, delayed response times, NFPA safety violations,” and that he “continues to put residents, businesses, and firefighters at extreme risk,” according to the suit.

Further, the union "knew or should have known that the statements were false, misleading, or published with reckless disregard for whether they we true or false..."

Last year, Muller's wife sued Columbia and Richland County alleging his death was caused by inadequate training, miscommunications between personnel and a failure to maintain clear channels of communication during the fire.