Columbia man killed in early-morning fire near Williams-Brice Stadium named by coroner

One person was killed in an early-morning fire, the Columbia Fire Department said Sunday.

Willie L. Kelly, a 67-year-old Columbia resident, was the victim, Richland County Coroner Naida Rutherford said Monday. Information on his cause of death was not available.

At about 4:30 a.m., firefighters responded to reports of a structure fire near the 1800 block of Shop Road, the fire department said. That’s about 1.5 miles from Williams-Brice Stadium — home of the University of South Carolina football team — and the South Carolina State Fairgrounds.

Firefighters found a burning duplex on nearby Sands Street, and flames were visible from the porch to the roof, according to the fire department.

There were also four vehicles on the property that were on fire, the fire department said.

Crews started to extinguish the fire and entered the home where Kelly was found, according to the fire department. Kelly was removed from the property and the rest of the fire was extinguished, fire department officials said.

Information on how long it took to put out the fire was not available.

No other injuries were reported.

The cause of the fire, and where it started on the property, were not available, but the blaze is being investigated by Richland County Fire Marshal’s Office.

There was no word on the extent of the damage caused to the property.

This is a developing story, check back for updates.