Recliner chair may have led to fire, explosion that killed 75-year-old, officials say
A recliner chair may have led to a fire and explosion that killed a woman in her 70s, North Carolina officials said.
June Leonard is remembered as a talented pianist and retired health care worker.
“She loved being a nurse, taking care of and helping others, it was a passion of hers,” her granddaughter, Harley James, told WFMY in a statement. “She was a funny person, she loved to pick and cut up, and make jokes. If you ask anybody about June they will tell you she was a feisty redhead and always said what was on her mind.”
Leonard’s life was cut short when a fire engulfed her home July 5. Her son found her in danger and pulled her out of the blaze in the Lexington area, a roughly a 25-mile drive south from Winston-Salem, news outlets reported.
She was flown to a hospital with burn injuries and later died, Darren Kirkus, chief of the South Lexington Fire Department, told McClatchy News in a phone interview.
As of July 11, officials continued to investigate the cause of the blaze. A power strip or electric chair recliner may have malfunctioned and caught fire before the flames caused a propane tank to burst, Kirkus said.
Though firefighters believe Leonard died at age 74, she was listed as 75 years old in her online obituary. She was known as a great-grandmother with a passion for playing piano at her church.
“She has touched the hearts of many with her singing and playing,” loved ones wrote on the Davidson Funeral Home website. “She was a retired nurse of over 30 years.”
Now, Leonard’s family is trying to grapple with losing their matriarch.
“She’d do anything she could for you,” her nephew, Nathan Brown, told WXII. “As long as you were trying to help yourself and do better, she would help you.”
The Davidson County fire marshal’s office didn’t immediately share additional details with McClatchy News on July 11.
This story was originally published July 11, 2024 at 11:22 AM with the headline "Recliner chair may have led to fire, explosion that killed 75-year-old, officials say."
