Columbia man dead after early morning fire

One man was found dead in his home early Thursday morning after police responded to a smoke odor in the 3400 block of Balboa Lane.

The Columbia Fire Department responded to the call just before 3 a.m. Thursday, according to a news release from the Columbia Police Department. When fire crews arrived, they found heavy smoke but no fire. Jason Ian Frazier, 38, of Columbia, was found unconscious in the bedroom of the duplex. When paramedics arrived, they pronounced Frazier dead.

The fire originated in the kitchen as a result of unattended cooking, according to Assistant Fire Marshal Shawn McGruder. The fire had extinguished on its own by the time fire crews arrived, the release said.

Frazier was the only person in the residence at the time of the fire.

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