Woman, 67, dies after microwave incident causes fire in her home

SUMTER COUNTY, SC (WOLO) – A house fire has claimed the life of a 67-year-old woman in southwest Sumter County, deputies said.

The Sumter County Sheriff's Office says Tommie Ruth Jackson suffered a fire in the home she and her sister shared on Kolb Road around 8:37 p.m. last Thursday, May 23.

The Sumter County Sheriff's Office said officers arrived at the home, saw smoke coming from the home and someone outside screaming for help.

At the scene, they learned that a person was still inside the house and had tried to force the door to enter.

A person inside the home was able to get out and directed a deputy to a window where they believed the other person inside the home was.

Sumter County Fire Department personnel continued to work to rescue the individual and extinguish the fire.

A witness at the scene reported that a resident attempted to microwave a sandwich in a wrapper containing aluminum foil.

When the sandwich wrapper in the microwave caught fire and tried to put out the fire but failed.

The victim was taken from his home and EMS personnel worked to save his life before he was transported by ambulance to Prisma Health.
Tuomey with Sheriff's Office deputies and Sumter Police officers escorting him.

With the assistance of the State Fire Marshal's Office and the Sumter Fire Department, it was determined that the cause of the fire was related to the placement of a
aluminum foil packaging inside the microwave and the poor living conditions that prevented the fire from extinguishing and spreading.

Authorities determined the fire was accidental. Jackson's cause of death is pending, SCSO says.