DECATUR COUNTY, Ga. — A 68-year-old man was killed inside a mobile home fire sparked by a space heater in Decatur County.
At about 8:40 a.m. Monday, the Decatur County Fire Department responded to a mobile home fire on Simmons-McIntyre Road in Attapulgus.
When emergency personnel made their way inside the home, they found the body of 68-year-old Bobby Simmons.
“The investigation revealed that the fire was started by a space heater, which would make this the third death in less than one week caused by these devices,” said Safety Fire Commissioner John F. King. “Please remember to be very careful when using space heaters this winter. Though they can provide temporary comfort, when not used properly they can be extremely dangerous.”
The 50-year-old mobile home suffered extensive damage from the fire and no smoke detectors were found in the home. Simmons' body was taken by the Decatur County Coroner’s Office to the GBI Crime Lab in Macon, where an autopsy report is to be done.
Investigators with the Safety Fire Commissioner’s Office are helping the Decatur County Fire Department and the Decatur County Sheriff’s Office with this investigation.
In 2019, Georgia fires have claimed the lives of 78 individuals.
