A South Carolina man died Saturday morning after he ran back inside his burning condo to save his sleeping wife.
Harold Morse, 70, managed to escape to safety before realizing his wife was still inside their home asleep.
The Richland County Fire Department responded to the blaze Saturday morning at the Point Arcadia condos in Forest Acres.
Harold Morse, 70, died Saturday morning after he ran back inside his burning condo (pictured) to save his sleeping wife. He managed to escape to safety before realizing his wife was still inside their home asleep
The Richland County Fire Department responded to the blaze Saturday morning at the Point Arcadia condos in Forest Acres. Morse’s wife, who survived the blaze, told Columbia Fire Chief Aubrey Jenkins that her heroic husband came back inside to wake her up and get her to safety
Morse’s wife, who survived the blaze, told Columbia Fire Chief Aubrey Jenkins that her heroic husband came back inside to wake her up and get her to safety.
‘He came back in to get her, and he didn’t make it out,’ Jenkins told reporters during a press conference.
‘She told me that he came in and woke her up,’ Jenkins added.
Richland County Coroner Gary Watts said Morse was overcome by the smoke and died.
Jenkins said firefighters do not encourage people to run into burning buildings, but he did call Morse’s act heroic.
‘I told his wife, “Your husband is your hero,” he said. ‘He sacrificed himself for you.’
Three condos were heavily damaged in the fire, which happened just off Decker Boulevard.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation by the Richland County Fire Marshal’s Office and the Forest Acres Police Department.
Three condos were heavily damaged in the fire, which happened just off Decker Boulevard. The cause of the fire is still under investigation by the Richland County Fire Marshal’s Office and the Forest Acres Police Department