Aragon man dies in reported accidental fire
The office of the Insurance and Fire Safety Commissioner for the state reported a fire that killed an Aragon man was started by accident.
The agency reported that around midnight Wednesday, June 26, Polk County Fire Department responded to a residential fire at 11 E. Third St. in Aragon. When emergency personnel made their way inside the home, they found the body of Robert Eugene Brinkley, 83, of Aragon.
According to the release, the fire originated in the living room where it is believed the victim was smoking while oxygen was in use.
The home suffered extensive damage from the blaze.
Polk County Coroner Tony Brazier said Brinkley was pronounced dead on the scene by Chief Deputy Coroner Marty Robinson shortly after 2 a.m. last Wednesday.
The intensity of the flames were such that firefighters were unable to make entry into the home and attempt to rescue Brinkley.
They found his body when they were able to contain the
fire and enter what remained of the house.
Brinkley’s body was held at Polk County’s morgue until it was transported to the GBI Crime Lab for further forensic examination to determine the exact cause of death before his remains were turned back over to the family. At press time, Brazier said he was waiting final results from the crime lab to provide a full report.
Officials said in the release that the residence “was approximately 119 years old and 2,460 square feet at the time of the fire. No smoke detectors were found in the home.”
State investigators with the Safety Fire Commissioner’s Office assisted the Aragon Police Department, the Rockmart Fire Department and Polk County Volunteer Fire Department with this investigation.
In 2019, Georgia fires have claimed the lives of 42 individuals.