South Carolina: Man's clothes ignite in deadly fire

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A man's clothes ignited and was engulfed in flames in a deadly fire Monday morning, according to a South Carolina sheriff's office.

(Above video is the Monday morning headlines for 8/28/2023.)

Deputies from the Sumter County Sheriff's Office were notified of a man on fire about 8:30 a.m. near the 5000 block of Mayrant Road, officials said.

When they arrived, deputies said they found that neighbors had put out the fire and a man was severely burned.

The victim was identified as Jerry Raysor, who was given emergency treatment by emergency medical and fire personnel and taken to Prisma Health Tuomey Hospital.

Raysor later died of his injuries, officials said.

Sheriff Anthony Dennis called the incident “horrific” and said he wished more could have been done to prevent it.

A witness told investigators that they saw a large fire and realized that someone was inside the flames, then called 911.

Witnesses suspect Raysor was too close to the fire and his clothes ignited, deputies said.

They said Raysor’s death is being investigated as suspicious by the sheriff's office, fire officials and the Sumter County Coroner's Office.