Christina “Tina” Kirby, 63, died after a fire burned through the roof of her third-floor apartment at Roper Mountain Woods Apartments in Greenville County. Seven months later, her daughter, Ariel Shorts, is still seeking answers about what happened that night. Shorts said Kirby called 911 as the roof collapsed into the apartment.
Kirby died March 16, according to WYFF News 4, which reports that Shorts is her daughter. Firefighters located Kirby deceased inside her apartment around 2:25 a.m., according to wspa.com, which identified her as Christina Lynn Kirby of Greenville. An autopsy determined her cause of death was smoke inhalation and thermal burns, and the coroner ruled it accidental, per the same report.
Shorts described her mother as a devoted grandmother, according to WYFF News 4. She said the coroner's office notified her of Kirby's death.
Questions About Fire Safety
Shorts said her mother had filed several maintenance requests at the apartment, according to lawsuit records cited in WYFF News 4's report. Shorts also said a window in her grandsons' room reportedly would not open. Firefighters did not hear any functioning smoke detectors or fire alarm in the unit, according to fire reports described by the station. The Greenville County Coroner's Office said Kirby died inside the apartment.
Responding agencies included the Greenville County Sheriff's Office, the City of Greenville Fire Department and the Boiling Springs Fire District, wspa.com reported. The blaze displaced 23 apartment units, and the Red Cross was assisting those affected, per the outlet. The fire burned through the third-floor roof and caused extensive damage, according to foxcarolina.com.
Accounts differ slightly on timing: wspa.com reported the fire was called in around 11:42 p.m. Sunday, while Fox Carolina reported crews responded to 1101 Roper Mountain Road around the same time Sunday night in reference to a structure fire. Officials said the investigation remained in its preliminary stages, according to wspa.com, and the fire remains under investigation, per WYFF News 4's report.
A Pattern of Fires at the Complex
The building did not have a sprinkler system or fire walls to help combat fires, a Boiling Springs fire official told wyff4.com. The same official, identified as fire marshal and assistant chief Jeff Nelson, said the complex had passed its latest inspection in May 2025. Boiling Springs Fire District records documented at least nine fires at the apartment complex between 2021 and the March blaze, according to WYFF News 4's report, and a separate fire at the complex occurred nine days before Kirby's death.
WSPA also reported on a separate fire at Roper Mountain Woods in July 2023.
What the 2023 Fire Reported
The July 2023 fire was described as spreading through most of the building’s attic. According to WSPA, 23 of the complex’s 24 units were occupied and 23 families were displaced. The March fire, by contrast, killed Kirby and burned through the roof of her third-floor apartment.
Roper Mountain Woods Apartments received multiple requests for comment from WYFF News 4 but did not respond, the station reported. Under South Carolina law, the owner of a rental dwelling is responsible for supplying and installing smoke detectors and must give tenants instructions for testing them and replacing batteries, according to the South Carolina Code of Laws.
Family Remembers Kirby
Shorts said she will continue seeking answers and justice for her mother.
