On February 1, 2026, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office received a 9-1-1 call in reference to a structure fire with a possible victim inside in the 200 block of Lee Road 712 in Opelika. Lee County Sheriff’s Office Deputies along with Beauregard Volunteer Fire Department, Southwest Volunteer Fire Department and Salem Volunteer Fire Department were dispatched to the scene.
Upon arrival, Deputies observed a storage shed that was being utilized as a home with smoke coming from the inside. With the assistance of fire personnel, entry was made into the shed and deputies attempted to search for a victim but were not able to make a full entry due to the fire and smoke. Once fire personnel were able to extinguish the fire, the body of WC Hawkins (49) from Opelika was found deceased. Lee County Investigators and an Alabama State Fire Marshall’s Investigator arrived on the scene.
Preliminary investigative results do not indicate that foul play was involved. It appears that the fire started from two to three space heaters that were connected to the same electric circuit. The Lee County Coroner’s Office was notified and took possession of Hawkins, and he will be taken to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences for a postmortem examination…