ATLANTA – Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John F. King announced today that one person was killed in a Columbia County fire. The fire occurred at the Pilot Gas Station located at Jimmy Dyess Parkway in Grovetown around 2:57 a.m. on Monday, March 29. The fire completely engulfed a van in the parking lot.

“Video shows the deceased pumping gasoline into an unidentified container and subsequently entering the gas station to purchase a lighter,” said Commissioner King. “Approximately thirty minutes after departing, the gas station employees heard an explosion and witnessed a van on fire in the back parking lot.   

We are assisting the Columbia County Fire Department in this investigation, and are now awaiting an autopsy and identification from the GBI Crime Lab.

###

The mission of the Office of the Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner is to protect Georgia families by providing access to vital insurance products and safe buildings through fair regulation that creates economic opportunities for all Georgians

Contact

Ethan Stiles