Haymarket Garage Fire Kills 72-Year-Old Man

HAYMARKET, VA — A 72-year-old man died early Tuesday morning in a fire that broke out in his garage residence in Haymarket. Prince William County firefighters responded to the fire at a residence in the 16600 block of Gaines Road where they found a man, identified by Prince William County police as James Earl Francis, in front of the garage. Fire and rescue crews transported him to an area hospital where he died as a result of injuries from the fire.

Upon arrival, Prince William County fire and rescue crews saw that the detached two-story garage, which had been converted into a residence, was on fire. A second-floor resident of the garage heard calls for help and was able to rescue Francis from the first floor. Fire and rescue crews began CPR on Francis and then transported him to a hospital where he later died. The rescuer, who sustained non-life-threatening injuries, also was transported to the hospital, the fire department said.

The fire caused extensive damage to the garage, which was declared a total loss by the Fire Marshall's Office. The occupants of the nearby single-family house were not forced out of their house from the fire.

The Fire Marshal's Office said it has determined the cause of the fire was "careless smoking." But both the Fire Marshal's Office and the Prince William County Police Department said they will continue to investigate Francis's death and the cause of the fire.