Former Georgia Lawmaker’s Home Destroyed by Fire

A fire has destroyed the northeast Georgia home of former state Rep. Bob Smith.

A spokesman for the state fire marshal said someone called police to report smoke in the area shortly before 9 a.m. Wednesday in Watkinsville. Police and fire officials were called and discovered the house on fire. No one was in the home at the time.

Authorities say it appears the fire started in the garage area, but the cause hasn’t been determined.

The Athens Banner-Herald reports that Smith served 12 years in the Georgia House of Representatives in a district that included Oconee County and parts of Clarke, Oglethorpe and Morgan counties. He announced in 2010 that he would not seek re-election so he could focus on the real estate business he and his son operate.