State releases cause of White County fire

ATLANTA - State investigators have determined the cause of the fire that destroyed a White County home Monday afternoon.<br /> <br /> Glenn Allen, spokesman for Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner Ralph T. Hudgens, released that information Tuesday morning.<br /> <br /> "Fire investigators have determined that the cause of the house fire yesterday was as a result of improper use of smoking materials where oxygen was in place," Allen said.<br /> <br /> The house, located on Georgia Highway 254 in the Mossy Creek community, was destroyed by fire around 3 p.m. Monday.<br /> <br /> "We don't have an owner's name yet," Allen said.<br /> <br /> He said the occupant was 60-year-old Future McCallister.<br /> <br /> "She had been renting that property for the past 25 years," Allen said.<br /> <br /> White County Fire Department spokeswoman Ana Newberry said firefighters from White County, Cleveland Fire and Lee Arrendale State Prison Fire Brigade responded to the fire, which resulted in the closure of Highway 254 for about 90 minutes.<br /> <br /> "Firefighters at Station 2 arrived and reported that the home was fully involved and that they heard explosions on the way to the fire," Newberry said. "They also reported that the occupant was out of the structure. The explosions were caused by the occupant's oxygen bottles."<br /> <br /> No one was hurt in the fire.<br /> <br /> "Firefighters remained on scene until dark to assist the family in removing some personal belongings of the homeowner," Newberry said.

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