Irmo Firefighter’s widow files lawsuit against city

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO)– The widow of fallen Irmo Firefighter James Muller has filed a lawsuit against the City of Columbia and Richland County over his death.

In May of 2023, Muller died fighting a fire at the Tropical Ridge Apartments when the building partially collapsed.

The lawsuit claims that Columbia-Richland Fire Department which was in command due to the fire being in their jurisdiction failed to perform an adequate risk/benefit analysis that considered the building’s construction.

A recent report from the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health found miscommunication among other factors led to his death.

The lawsuit is demanding a jury trial.