Officials: Careless smoking may have led to fire death

The Macon Telegraph, Ga. (July 24, 2008) Jul. 24--BONAIRE -- A dropped cigarette may have caused a fire in which a Houston County man died early Saturday in the mobile home he had recently moved into, authorities said Wednesday. An autopsy determined that Robert E. Graham, 58, of 103 Sandy Run Road, died of carbon monoxide poisoning, Houston County sheriff's Capt. Robert Clark said. The 911 call came about 12:30 a.m. Saturday and the mobile home was engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived, Clark said. The fire started in the living room of the mobile home and was concentrated around the sofa, the investigator said. "We don't know for sure what happened. ... The woman who owns the trailer and let the man stay there said he was a heavy smoker. The assumption was that he was smoking and dropped the cigarette on the couch or... [read full story]