By Jessie Burchette
jburchette@salisburypost.comA bonfire where a dozen or so friends gathered Friday night ended with the death of 21-year-old Jonathan Efird of China Grove.
A second person, Chris Rice, was burned when a liquid thrown on the fire exploded, but he was not seriously injured.
The mishap occurred at 460 Mayberry Lane, a Mooresville address that is the home of James Andrew Pauley. It’s located off Karriker Farms Road, which is off Deal Road in the Atwell Fire Department district.
Atwell and Enochville firefighters responded around 10:30 p.m. Friday.
Atwell first responders immediately called for a medical helicopter after examining the two people burned.
A Carolinas Medical Center helicopter responded to the scene to transport Efird, who sustained severe burns.
Frank Greene, public information officer with the Atwell Fire Department, said the medical personnel decided to take Efird to Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem. He died on the way to the hospital.
Rice, whose address was not available, was transported to Carolinas Medical Center-NorthEast in Concord, where he was treated and released Friday night.
Efird, of Stirewalt Road in China Grove, was a 2005 graduate of South Rowan High School.
Firefighters who were on the scene said the group routinely got together for the bonfire.
On the very chilly night, the wood was apparently not burning well. One or more people went into a nearby building and got a liquid and threw it on the wood.
An explosion followed.
Greene said Rowan County Sheriff’s Office investigators were on the scene Saturday.
Rowan Sheriff George Wilhelm said late Saturday there doesn’t appear to be any criminal activity. “It appears to be an accident,” Wilhelm said, adding the district attorney will be consulted.
Wilhelm said his office was notified about the accident around 10 a.m. Saturday and deputies interviewed the group of young men who were at the bonfire.
Dennis Karriker, who lives near where the incident occurred, said a dozen or so young men get together about every weekend at Pauley’s. They frequently ride 4-wheelers in the area along Mayberry Lane where several members of the Pauley family live.
Andrew “Andy” Pauley operates a body shop near his house.
Karriker said there’s never been any trouble. He said Andy Pauley’s father and grandfather are preachers and both live nearby.
Karriker was at work Friday night when the explosion occurred.
Josh Vinson, a golf coach at South Rowan, remembers Efird as a “good kid, hard working. He was fun to be around, he took golf and a lot of other things seriously.”
“It’s a tragedy,” said Vinson, adding the hardest thing as a coach is when you lose students.
Efird’s death is believed to be the second fire-related death in the Atwell fire district in 20 years. Greene said Efird’s is the first fire fatality in at least 20 years.
Linn-Honeycutt Funeral Hmes in China Grove is handling arrangements.
Contact Jessie Burchette at 704-797-4254.