Fatal fire in Warner Robins leaves house ‘pitch black,’ witness says. Victim identified

A man died after a fire at his home Thursday night in Warner Robins, according to the Houston County Fire Department.

Initial 911 calls reported “heavy smoke and flames” around 10:40 p.m. at a house at 109 Horseshoe Drive, the fire department said.

Someone told dispatchers that a resident was still inside the home while it was aflame, Fire Chief Christopher Stoner said.

The resident was still inside by 10:45 p.m., when the first firefighter crew arrived at the scene. There were “heavy fire conditions,” Stoner said.

Firefighters entered the home and removed the man from inside amidst “significant fire conditions,” the fire department said.

He was taken to Emory Healthcare Warner Robins, where he died from “significant heat injuries to his face and airway,” Stoner said.

“Just the heat alone, inhaling that temperature air, causes very significant inflammation in all of your airways, and your lung tissues actually start burning, which will prevent them from absorbing oxygen,” he told The Telegraph.

Stoner confirmed the victim was Michael Toole, 41.

One firefighter got minor burns when “a piece of burning debris fell on the back of his neck” during the incident, Stoner said. Emergency medical services evaluated him at the scene, then took him to Emory, where he was released soon after.

Deputies from the Houston County Sheriff’s Office also helped respond to the fire, according to Sheriff Matt Moulton.

Jamie McClanahan, who said she is the best friend of Toole’s fiancé, witnessed the fire.

McClanahan and Toole’s fiancé were at Walmart for about 40 minutes Thursday evening, then returned to the house and “initially didn’t see anything wrong,” McClanahan said. But when they tried to open the garage door, they saw the house was engulfed in flames and smoke.

“The house was pitch black,” McClanahan said.

McClanahan was the one who called 911, she said.

It was unclear what caused the fire, Stoner said. The Fire Investigation Division investigated the scene and interviewed the witnesses Friday morning.

This story may be updated as more information becomes available.

This story was originally published August 15, 2025 at 9:42 AM.