A man ran to save his 77-year-old brother from a weekend fire in Coweta County, but the flames were too intense.
Jerry McMichael died in the blaze that overtook his cabin on Shell Road in Palmetto, his brother Terry McMichael told Channel 2 Action News.
Just after 9 p.m. Saturday, McMichael said his wife went outside to feed deer.
“She heard a real loud spewing noise and a few seconds later, it made a big boom,” he said.
The brothers, who last spoke just two hours before the deadly blaze, shared the property.
“I was the first one up there last night before the firetrucks even got there,” McMichael said.
When emergency crews arrived, they found Jerry McMichael’s body in the yard outside the home, making him the 18th person to die in a fire in Georgia this year, according to the state fire marshal.
“Due to it being several yards off the road, it was pretty difficult to access, and they were not able to do anything with him at that time,” Coweta County Fire Department Battalion Chief Jeff Woody said.
The residence was completely destroyed by the blaze, according to officials.
“Due to the severity of the damages to the structure, a cause and origin of the fire cannot be determined,” Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John F. King said. “No foul play is suspected at this time.”
