Columbia-Richland Fire Chief Aubrey Jenkins alleges union leaders falsely blamed him for conditions that contributed to the death of Irmo Firefighter James Muller

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Columbia-Richland Fire Chief Aubrey Jenkins filed a defamation lawsuit against the Professional Fire Fighters Association of South Carolina and its president, alleging they publicly blamed him for the 2023 death of Irmo Firefighter James Muller.

The lawsuit, filed on June 22, claims the association issued a June 19, 2023, press release and related social media posts accusing Jenkins of “years of neglect and deficiencies” connected to the fire that killed Muller. WIS reported that the suit also alleges the statements questioned Jenkins’ honesty and competence.

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The lawsuit is tied to a fatal May 2023 fire at the Tropical Ridge Apartments in Columbia. During the three-alarm blaze, a mayday was declared, and part of the apartment building collapsed, trapping Muller, who later died. An investigative report found that a fourth-floor loft had collapsed through multiple floors, trapping Muller’s crew.

According to the lawsuit, the defendants stated that a fatal fire “exposes years of a chief’s neglect and deficiencies.” Defendants further represented that Jenkins’s leadership had resulted in “severe staffing issues, nonfunctioning apparatus, delayed response times, NFPA safety violations,” and that he “continues to put residents, businesses, and firefighters at extreme risk.”

The lawsuit also alleges the defendants accused Jenkins of making false or misleading statements about the fire’s cause and the role of outside investigators.

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