Burning debris leads to fatal fire near Clover, officials say

YORK COUNTY, S.C. — A man died in a fire near Clover Wednesday night, officials told Channel 9.

Fire officials with the Bethel Fire Department said the building on Kingsbury Road, just southeast of Clover, caught fire around 7 p.m.

The building fire appeared to have been sparked accidentally by burning debris, said Trish Startup, spokesperson for York County.

The owner of the property, Jerome Hamer, died in the fire, officials said.

"It was blazing and the smoke, oh goodness," neighbor Sandra Cobb said.

Some of her neighbors saw the flames Wednesday, ran down the private road and found Hamer surrounded by flames.

Friends said Hamer had retired from Freightliner in Mount Holly.

"I can't believe he is gone," friend Sharon Zeggert said.

She said Hamer seemed content with his home in the woods.

A barn was burned to the ground at the scene of the fire, and the York County Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating.

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