Johnson County Man Dies in House Fire, Mother in Critical Condition

WRIGHTSVILLE, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – A Johnson County man is dead after a Tuesday night house fire.

Glenn Allen with the Georgia Department of Insurance tells 41NBC 42-year-old Thomas Leonard Sumner, Jr. passed away after a fire at a wood frame home in Wrightsville.  It started just before 11 p.m.

Investigators ruled the fire accidental.  They believe it started in the kitchen after the stove was left unattended.  The investigation revealed there was no smoke alarm in the home.

Sumner’s mother, 62-year-old Myrtle Elizabeth Sumner, was flown by helicopter to the burn center in Augusta, where she is listed in critical condition.

Assistance during this investigation was provided by the Wrightsville Fire Department, Wrightsville Police Department, Johnson County Sheriff’s Office and the Johnson County Coroner’s Office.