A Putnam County man lost his life early Saturday morning in a house fire.
Randy Wallace, 68, of the 100 block of Bear Creek Road, was found dead in his bedroom by Putnam County firefighters.
Putnam County Coroner Hollis Harrison said an autopsy is being done at the GBI Crime Lab to determine the manner and cause of death.
Wallace’s daughter awoke to get ready to go to work at Burger King, Harrison said. When she opened the door of her bedroom, she smelled something burning and saw smoke, and called 911.
Putnam County Fire Chief Thomas McClain said the fire department was notified of the call around 3 a.m., and the caller said a man was still inside the burning singlewide mobile home. The firefighters and fire truck from the Flat Rock Fire Station were the first on scene approximately nine minutes later.
“Smoke and flames were visible in the front door and windows at one end of the mobile home when they pulled up,” McClain described. “Unfortunately, the flames were on the side of the house with Mr. Wallace’s bedroom.”
The firefighters found Wallace inside his bedroom, but he was not in his bed.
“So, most likely he tried to get out but was unable to make it,” McClain said.
The home suffered significant damage and was most likely non-repairable, the fire chief opined.
State Fire Marshall Investigator Scott Young was called in to determine the cause of the fire. Young said the fire originated in Wallace’s bedroom, but the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
McClain said he hopes this tragedy reminds everyone of the importance of having properly operating smoke detectors in the home.
“Early notification by a smoke detector is your best chance of survival of any house fire,” he said.