Burke County Fatal Fire Ruled ‘Undetermined’

The cause of a fatal fire in Burke County cannot yet be determined, authorities say. 

Shortly after 5:00 P.M. on February 19, the Waynesboro Fire Department responded to a residential fire off of Burton Street in Waynesboro, Georgia. 

After the fire was extinguished, emergency personnel discovered the body of an unidentified adult male in the rear bedroom. 

“The 59-year-old, 1,188 square-foot structure suffered major interior damages from the blaze,” said Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John F. King. “Though they cannot be directly linked to starting the fire, two space heaters were found in the bedroom in which the fire started.

At this time, the GBI Crime Lab is in the process of identifying the victim.” Commissioner King’s Fire Investigations Unit is assisting the Waynesboro Fire Department, Burke County Coroner’s Office, and Waynesboro Police Department with this investigation. 

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimates that more than 25,000 residential fires and more than 300 deaths are caused each year by space heaters. If you plan on using a space heater for your home, Commissioner King reminds you to follow these important safety tips when it is in use. 

The unidentified male is the seventeenth victim to perish in a Georgia fire in 2020.