
A fire in South Austin led to a grim discovery on Sunday afternoon as firefighters responding to a blaze found a deceased body. According to FOX 7 Austin, the Austin Fire Department (AFD) was called to a fire in the 700-800 block of W. Ben White Boulevard, situated between S. 1st Street and St. David's South Austin Medical Center, at around 12:22 p.m. on January 19.
Upon extinguishing the flames, which were consuming a tent under the sheltering branches of a tree, the firefighters discovered a body. As of yet, it remains unknown whether the person was alive before the fire ignited or what was the cause of their death. The Austin Police Department (APD) and AFD are continuing their investigation into this incident. There has been no briefing from APD regarding the matter, as reported by CBS Austin.
Initial calls indicated that the incident began as a trash fire near the 700 and 835 Ben White Boulevard Service Road Eastbound. The situation escalated prompting a response from AFD, followed by the involvement of APD once the body was uncovered. The case unfolds under the scrutiny of local authorities as they seek to unveil the circumstances that led to this tragic outcome.
The details surrounding the identity and death of the individual are still pending investigation. Both agencies are working in conjunction to determine the sequence of events that concluded in such a fatal discovery.