Woman killed in massive Hilton Head house fire was mother of homeowner, coroner says
The person killed in a massive late-night house fire in a Hilton Head Island gated community last week has been identified as the mother of one of the homeowners as locals raised funds for her surviving family.
Katherine Laney Condie, 66, of Cherryville, NC, was pronounced dead at 4 a.m. Wednesday due to smoke inhalation and burns, according to the Beaufort County Coroner’s Office.
Condie was the mom of Tyler Love, who owns the house on Victoria Square Drive with his wife, Kate Boardman. Condie was inside the three-story residence with the couple’s two pet dogs when the powerful blaze began around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Hilton Head fire crews found the woman’s body inside the home along with one deceased dog, Hudson. The homeowners’ other dog, Blue, managed to escape and was found safe outside.
In less than a week, an online fundraiser organized by a friend of the homeowners raised over $106,000 for bringing Condie home to North Carolina, funeral arrangements and “the costs associated with rebuilding two entire lives.”
“Kate and Tyler have lived in Hilton Head and Bluffton their entire lives and have been active members of the community,” the online fundraiser reads. “Nothing worse could happen to two better people.”
Firefighters fully extinguished the blaze by 2:15 a.m. Wednesday after nearly four hours of work, according to Joheida Fister, spokeswoman for Hilton Head Island Fire Rescue. Its leaping flames blackened the sides of two neighboring homes, but both neighboring dwellings were deemed safe after inspections.
The 1,978-square-foot home was built in 2003. Along with the land, the residence was assessed at $561,000 in 2022, according to Beaufort County property records.
Large, charred portions of the house remained standing after the flames were out. It is one of 95 “Charleston style homes” in the Victoria Square private community, located off Marshland Road on north-end Hilton Head.
Information on the cause of the fire and where in the house it started was not available Monday as Hilton Head fire crews, the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division continue to investigate.
