Man who died in Fripp Island fire identified. Cause still under investigation
The name of the man who died in a house fire on Fripp Island on Aug. 16 was released late Friday afternoon.
DNA was used to identify Michael Pate, the owner of the home, according to Deputy Coroner Shane Bowers.
The sheriff's office previously said the victim in the fire was 59, but Pate was 70, the coroner’s office said Friday.
A family dog named Ranger also died in the fire.
The house fire at 718 Bonito Drive was reported at 10:13 a.m. Saturday. Fripp Island is 18 miles east of Beaufort.
Two houses next door were also destroyed, but they were unoccupied. Two more houses were damaged.
Authorities have yet to release the cause of the blaze but the Arson Unit with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is assisting with the investigation.
Before the fire exploded across several houses, John Poore, who lives across the street, told authorities that he observed a golf cart on fire in the garage at 718 Bonito Drive, where Pate died.
The flames, he said, were quickly spreading to the first floor above it.
When Jayne Pate, Michael’s wife, arrived on the scene, she told a Sheriff’s Office deputy her husband and a family dog were missing. A GPS location from her phone places Mike inside the house.
This story was originally published August 22, 2025 at 5:17 PM.
