Sheriff's Office finds no evidence of a crime in fatal Pickens County fire

No evidence of foul play was found in the Dacusville Highway fire in which a man was found dead inside the burnt out building on Nov. 21, the Pickens County Sheriff's Office said Monday.   

According to an autopsy, Rickey A. Johnson was not found to have died by means other than what would be expected when someone is trapped inside a structure fire, authorities said.

And interviews with Johnson's surviving girlfriend only provided information about the moments before the building was engulfed in flames, the Sheriff's Office said. 

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The two were the only residents of the structure, which looked like a large storage building, and they were using propane heaters on the morning of the fire when the flames broke out, authorities said.

The pair approached the only door when Johnson turned around "as if to gather some personal items," and never emerged before the building was consumed by flames, authorities said. His dog also died in the fire.

A search failed to uncover any evidence that would indicate that the fire was intentionally set, according to the Sheriff's Office, but detectives will wait for the final results from routine toxicology tests before making a final determination.

Agents from the SC Law Enforcement Division are assisting with the investigation.