A 38-year-old man died Tuesday morning following a flash fire in Walker County that investigators say was accidentally caused by the application of spray foam insulation inside a small, enclosed building.

Walker County Fire Rescue responded to 116 Alton Terrace Spur in Rossville around 8:25 AM on Tuesday, October 20, after a neighbor reported a fire.

When firefighters arrived, they found heavy flames coming from a small outbuilding near the road. After extinguishing the fire, crews discovered the body of 38-year-old Michael James Carney inside the structure.

A neighbor told investigators that Carney had entered the building shortly before the fire occurred.

Walker County Fire Marshal Jason Cruise said investigators determined that the fire was accidental and resulted from the application of spray foam insulation in an enclosed space without adequate ventilation.

According to Cruise, flammable vapors accumulated inside the building and were ignited by an undetermined heat source, resulting in a sudden and violent flash fire.

Cruise emphasized that the incident was a flash fire rather than an explosion. The rapid ignition of the accumulated vapors created extremely dangerous conditions inside the structure.

The incident marks Walker County’s first fire-related fatality of 2026.

An autopsy will be conducted to determine Carney’s exact cause of death.