Investigators say fire that killed trooper was accidental

The house fire that killed a South Carolina Highway Patrol trooper last week in Timmonsville has been ruled accidental, and the cause of death was smoke inhalation, according to Florence County officials.

In a press release issued Monday afternoon, Florence County Sheriff Kenney Boone said the investigation into the fire at 5806 Country Lane in Timmonsville that killed trooper Andrew D. McInville determined there was “no evidence that the fire had multiple points of origin and no accellerants were detected.“

Boone said there was no evidence of forced entry at the house, and that an autopsy performed at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston determined there was no evidence of foul play in McInville’s death.

According to Florence County Coroner M.G. “Bubba” Matthews, the cause of death as determined by the autopsy was smoke inhalation and the manner of death has been determined to be accidental.

According to the release, sheriff’s deputies responded to the report of a house fire just before 1 a.m. Wednesday, and shortly thereafter were able to remove McInville from the residence while the fire was still in progress.

McInville was transported to a local hospital emergency department where he was later pronounded dead by Matthews.