Todd M. Hackett Death,Coroner Identifies Victim in Fatal Hopkins House Fire
HOPKINS, S.C. — The Richland County Coroner’s Office has identified the man found deceased after an early morning house fire on Friday.
Coroner Naida Rutherford confirmed the victim as 60-year-old Todd M. Hackett, a resident of Hopkins. His body was discovered inside his home on Harmon Road after firefighters extinguished the blaze.
The Columbia-Richland Fire Department was dispatched to the 500 block of Harmon Road around 5:40 a.m. after receiving reports of a structure fire. Upon arrival, crews encountered heavy flames fully involving the residence.
Despite their rapid response, the intense fire prevented immediate entry. Hackett was located inside once the fire was brought under control and pronounced dead at the scene.
“We will continue working with the Columbia-Richland Fire Department to fully investigate this fire,” Coroner Rutherford stated in a release.
The exact cause of the fire remains undetermined and under active investigation by both the Coroner’s Office and fire department officials. An autopsy has been scheduled to determine Hackett’s precise cause of death as investigators work to piece together the events that led to the tragic incident.
