Overview
- Authorities identified the victims as Willie Morris, 38, Dakeyia Shippy, 25, 4-year-old Mason Issac, and 7-month-old Jerekry McGill, with one other occupant escaping.
- Kathy Shippy reported the fire at about 1:40 a.m. after running to a neighbor, and doorbell footage showed the home already largely engulfed.
- The coroner said the blaze was traced to an indoor heater and reported a witness account that it erupted as a kerosene heater was being refueled.
- Fire Chief Jamie Caggiano said security bars on the windows prevented occupants from exiting, and crews found the victims at the rear of the house.
- Investigators from the coroner’s office, the Gaffney Fire Marshal, and SLED are probing the incident, with autopsies scheduled and the victims’ relationships not yet clarified.