A view outside Ronald Kennedy's apartment at West Colony. (photo by Brittiny Barber/13WMAZ.com)
A 56-year-old man has been found dead after an apartment fire on Bloomfield Road, according to Bibb County Coroner Leon Jones.
He says fire crews were called to the Colony West Apartments around 2 a.m. Monday.
Jones says they found the body of Ronald Kennedy burned beyond recognition in the damaged apartment. An autopsy is expected before Tuesday.
Capt. Tom Musslewhite with the Macon-Bibb Fire Department says the fire looks to be accidental, but it's still under investigation.
Musslewhite says it appears that Kennedy left a cigarette unattended while he fell asleep.
Kennedy used oxygen to help him breathe, and Musslewhite says oxygen tanks in the apartment helped the fire spread quickly.
According to Jones, the ground-level apartment was the only one damaged in the fire.
He says the victim appeared to be sitting on his sofa, and possibly couldn't get out of the fire because he had polio.
Kennedy's sister Paula Peterson told 13WMAZ her brother was diagnosed with polio when he was 3-years-old.
She said he has two teenage daughters who live in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
Kennedy was born in Wheeler County, but spent most of his life in Alma, Ga., said his sister. She still lives in the southeast Ga. town which is near Waycross.
Peterson remembered her brother as always being handy. She said he did watch repairs, and had several certificates for that skill.
The apartment manager said Kennedy had just moved in the week before the fire.
She said his apartment suffered major damages, and the unit above had some smoke damage.
She said no one else was injured in the fire.
The Coroner said quick response from the Macon-Bibb Fire Department kept the fire from spreading to other units.