NEW HOPE – A fire Tuesday afternoon claimed the life of a man under a lean-to structure near his home on Highway 182.
The deceased was identified as Vester Horace Gilliam, 79, who lived at the residence, Lowndes County Coroner Greg Merchant wrote in a text to The Dispatch.
Lowndes County volunteer firefighters responded to the blaze at about 3:52 p.m. The fire began between sheds on Gilliam’s property at the corner of Highway 182 and Mert Rickman Road.
Investigators believe the fire started accidentally and may have ignited from sparks while Gilliam was repairing a lawnmower outside.
Firefighters’ attempts to rescue Gilliam were unsuccessful, and he was located underneath a lean-to structure off one of the sheds.
Gilliam’s wife suffered injuries while trying to rescue him, though Merchant said he does not believe her injuries to be life-threatening. She was taken to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle before being transferred to a hospital in Jackson.
The blaze took more than an hour to extinguish, destroying two sheds and causing extensive damage to a third.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 34 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 34 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
