State Fire Marshal Office (SFMO) investigators believe unattended cooking led to the death of 66-year-old J.B. Faust Jr. at his home in Pike County. This marks the 60th fire death in Mississippi this year.
The SFMO and McComb Fire Department responded to the home located on 12th Street in McComb around midnight on October 6, 2026. The gas stove eye was found on. The fire has been classified as accidental, caused by unattended cooking.
The SFMO offers the following cooking safety tips:
- Never leave cooking unattended. Stay in the kitchen while you are frying, grilling, or broiling food. If you leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the stove.
- Keep anything that can catch fire away from your stovetop.
- Remove pans from the stove when not in use.
- Turn handles in so pots cannot be easily pulled off the stove.
- Have a fire extinguisher handy.
- Kids and pets should stay at least 3 feet away from the stove when food is cooking.
Additionally, no working smoke alarms were found in the home. Smoke alarms should be placed in every sleeping area, in common hallways, and on every level of the home. A smoke alarm should be on the ceiling or high on a wall. Test smoke alarms at least once a month using the test button and replace all smoke alarms when they are 10 years old.