Home Fire Leads to Death

A Jasper County man was found dead Monday after firefighters extinguished a blaze that destroyed his home.

The deceased is believed to be 52-year-old Kenneth “Rocky” Herrin, who lived in the home. However, positive identification had not been made by press time Wednesday.

Mr. Herrin, a painter, had done considerable work in and around Monticello.

The body was taken to the state crime lab where steps are being taken to get positive identification and, hopefully, determine the cause of death, said Jasper County Coroner Billy Norris.
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Firefighters were called to the home on Deerfield Farms Road at 11:27 a.m. Monday. A neighbor saw smoke coming from the area, and called the 911 center. By the time firefighters arrived, exactly 10 minutes after the call, the structure was fully involved.

The home consisted of two early 1970s manufactured homes connected together in an L-shape, according to the report from the state fire marshal’s office. Apparently the victim lived alone in the house. His body was found near a bedroom at the end of the house.

The cause of the fire is undetermined because of the heavy damage to the structure, said Glenn Allen with the state fire marshal’s office. The incident remains under investigation.
Initially firefighters thought no one was home; apparently a neighbor had advised that he had not seen anyone over there.

After firefighters left, however, acquaintances of Mr. Herrin went to the scene. Allen McGinnis of Monticello said he heard about the fire and wanted to see if he could do anything to help Mr. Herrin out. (Mr. Herrin worked for Mr. McGinnis on numerous occasions.)

Two other men were at the property when Mr. McGinnis arrived. One of the men, David Waldrip, said that Mr. Herrin was supposed to help him put a windshield in a vehicle that day.

While walking around and viewing the burned debris that had been Mr. Herrin’s home, Mr. McGinnis said something caught his eye. He looked closer, and said he wasn’t sure, but it appeared to be a human body. It was badly burned and hardly distinguishable, he indicated.

Mr. Waldrip was already on the phone to the 911 center, inquiring about Mr. Herrin’s whereabouts. When the individuals at the scene realized they were likely looking at a body, they told the 911 operator, and investigators immediately returned. The state fire marshal was called in, and is investigating the fire and fatality.

It was the ninth fire fatality in Georgia of this new year, and the tenth occurred a few hours later in Jesup.

It is not known if there were smoke detectors in the home, said the fire marshal’s report. Everyone is urged to be sure there are working smoke detectors in their home, said Mr. Allen. It can make the difference in life and death.

Those who do not have working smoke detectors, and cannot afford them may call Commissioner of Insurance John Oxendine’s office, 1-800-656-2298 and he will help you obtain one, said Mr. Allen.
In addition, local help is available. Call Ed Westbrook, 468-4930, or Ronnie Payne, 468-1759.