From the Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner’s Office:
Atlanta – State Fire Investigators with the Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner's office, have ruled a Wednesday morning fatal house fire in Jackson County accidental.
Killed in the 10:17 a.m. fire was Leroy Johnson, 80. His home located at 186 Ivie Street, in Jefferson, Ga., was destroyed by the blaze. The Jackson County E-911 Dispatch was informed of the fire by a neighbor.
The investigation revealed the fire was caused by the improper use of smoking materials, Deputy Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner Jay Florence said. A firefighter with the Jefferson Fire Department found the victim’s body in a bedroom of the home. State Fire Investigators believe Mr. Johnson was smoking while in bed.
The Jefferson Fire Department and the Jackson County Coroner’s Office assisted with the investigation.