Two dead after separate 4th of July fireworks-related incidents in SC

Two people died in separate fireworks-related incidents during the Fourth of July weekend in South Carolina, according to local authorities. In Oconee County, Coroner Karl Addis said that on July 4 at around 9:25 p.m., 911 was called to a private dock on Lake Keowee near Seneca. Fire, EMS, and rescue crews responded to a residence on East Waterside Drive, where investigators found 20-year-old Brock K. Jackson of Aiken. During the Saturday night display, other fireworks reportedly caught fire and detonated early, prompting multiple people to jump into the lake. Jackson was recovered face down within the dock’s boat slip after communicating with a family member, and he was pronounced dead around 10:45 p.m. at Prisma–Oconee Memorial Hospital. Investigators also reported a fatal house fire in Spartanburg County on July 5, where 61-year-old Laura Pillion died after improperly discarded fireworks were believed to have ignited a porch area. The sheriff’s office said lingering heat or packaging debris could have reignited the fire; the investigation is closed.