Rembert man burned in mobile home blaze

By BELTON WHITE
Item Staff Writer
bwhite@theitem.com

A 56-year-old Rembert man was airlifted to Joseph M. Still Burn Center in Augusta, Ga., on Saturday afternoon after a propane leak caused a fire inside his home.

James Mayrant, of 5409 Mayrant Road in Rembert, was burned on the lower part of his body, according to a fire report, and was in fair condition on Monday, according to hospital spokeswoman.

The fire report states that Mayrant's mobile home didn't have any electricity and that he was using a 20-pound propane tank inside the home to cook at about 5:30 p.m.

Fire officials weren't sure if the stove or the kerosene heaters he was using caused the ignition but a leak between the propane tank and the stove was discovered when the tank was found after the blaze.

"We know there had to be a leak between the stove and the tank," said Capt. Brian Horton with the Sumter Fire Department. "We don't know if the propane ignited from the stove or the heater."

Horton said that one of the neighbors heard explosions and since the tank was found after the fire, that gas might have been building up inside.

Mayrant's injuries were on the lower half of his body, including his legs, and he was conscious while Sumter County Emergency Medical Services was treating him.

"He got out of the house himself and we spoke about everything with him," Horton said. "He told us what he was doing in the bedroom."

Mayrant's sister, Carolyn Wright, 55, lives behind his house but said she didn't see the fire.

"When I got there, they already put him in the ambulance to meet the helicopter off of Spencer Road," she said.

Wright and other members of the Mayrant family went to Augusta to see Mayrant on Sunday and said on Monday that doctors are waiting to operate.

"They would have done the surgery earlier, but they're waiting for him to get stronger," she said. "But it needs to be done."

According to Wright, Mayrant had been sick prior to getting burned.

"He wasn't in the best of health," she said. "But if you asked him, he'd tell you he was OK."

The fire department estimated the damage to the structure at $3,000 and the damage to the home's contents at $5,000.

"The house is gone," Wright said. "The trailer is gone."

The American Red Cross plans to assist Mayrant with some of his needs after he returns home from the Augusta hospital.



Contact Staff Writer Belton White at bwhite@theitem.com or (803) 774-1295.