Couple die in fire in Ridgeland; boyfriend tried to save lover but got trapped inside

RIDGELAND -- A house fire claimed two lives early Saturday morning, including the boyfriend who ran into the burning home to try to save his lover, authorities said.

Anita Howard had come home from working the overnight shift at Huddle House in Ridgeland. She put a pot on the stove and then fell asleep, said Jasper County Coroner Martin Sauls III. That pot apparently ignited a fire.

A short time later, 49-year-old Anthony Singletary returned to the couple's home on Captain Bill Road. He braved the heat, smoke and flames and tried unsuccessfully to rescue Howard, who was said to be about 42 years old.

"He arrived to see the house engulfed in smoke and flames," Sauls said. "He went in to try to save her, but he too was overcome."

The Ridgeland Fire Department was unable to provide information about the fire Sunday evening, referring inquiries to Chief John H. Mingledorff, who was out of the office.

Howard had worked as a cook at the Huddle House at the interchange of Interstate 95 and S.C. 336 for quite some time. She worked until 6 a.m. Saturday, a shift that overlapped with friend and co-worker Juel Mallory.

The two women loved shopping and would bring their latest purchases to work for comparison during impromptu modeling sessions. They checked out stores and then reported back to one another.

"She was a good person," Mallory said in between filling orders at the restaurant Sunday evening. "I loved her to death."