Rossville, GA (October 21, 2026) – A 38-year-old man died Tuesday morning following a flash fire in Walker County.
Walker County Fire Rescue responded to 116 Alton Terrace Spur around 8:25 a.m. after a neighbor reported a fire at that location. When firefighters arrived, they encountered heavy flames coming from a small outbuilding near the road.
After firefighters extinguished the blaze, they discovered the body of Michael James Carney inside. A neighbor told fire investigators they saw him enter the building a short time before the explosion.
“The fire origin and cause were determined to be accidental, resulting from the application of spray foam insulation in a small, enclosed space with inadequate ventilation,” said Walker County Fire Marshal Jason Cruise. “Flammable vapors accumulated in the confined area and ignited from an unconfirmed heat source. The resulting ignition was a sudden, violent flash fire.”
Although the ignition was extremely rapid and intense, Cruise clarified this was a flash fire and not an explosion. The rapid ignition of the flammable vapors created life-threatening conditions that ultimately resulted in Walker County’s first fire-related fatality of the year.
An autopsy will be conducted to determine the exact cause of death.