Firefighters putting out what turned out to be an illegal burn at an encampment in Seattle's White Center Pond Natural Area made a grim discovery Monday morning: a body at the scene. King County's Major Crimes Unit is now investigating the death, and officials have not said who the person was or how they died.
According to KOMO News, King County fire crews extinguished the fire after it was reported as an illegal burn at the encampment. The King County Sheriff's Office said firefighters had responded to reports of an illegal burn at some sort of encampment, and a body was found once the flames were out. The body was discovered Monday morning in the natural area, the outlet reported.
The King County Sheriff's Office Major Crimes Unit has taken over the investigation into the death, per the same KOMO report. As of the station's reporting, the King County Medical Examiner's Office had not released the identity of the person found, nor had it disclosed a cause of death.
A Stretch of Seattle Known for Dense Cover
The White Center Pond Natural Area itself has a reputation for being difficult to monitor. King County describes the stretch as very dark at night, with dense vegetation that is hard to see through and provides cover for undesirable uses, especially when the ponds dry out in summer, according to King County.
Outdoor burning has been under tight restriction across the region for months. Seattle joined King County under a Stage 2 burn ban effective Aug. 7, during which any outdoor fire, including backyard fire pits or campfires using chopped firewood or charcoal, was prohibited, per the Seattle Fire Department. The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency notes that outdoor fires are banned in most areas of King, Snohomish, Kitsap and Pierce counties, and that fines for illegal fires typically start at $2,000, plus the cost of reimbursing the fire department for its response.
Not the First Body Found Near a Seattle Encampment Fire
This is not the first time a Seattle fire response at an encampment has ended with the discovery of a body. In August, Seattle police investigated after firefighters found a body while responding to a brush fire along the Mountains to Sound Trail, according to KOMO. In May, a dead man was found inside a tent encampment in the Mount Baker neighborhood, prompting a Seattle Police Department investigation, as reported by KIRO 7 News.
Fires at encampments have also drawn criminal charges in the past. Seattle police arrested a 46-year-old man for arson last year following a West Seattle encampment fire set across the street from the Southwest police precinct, according to the Seattle Police Department. No arrest or arson determination has been announced in Monday's White Center case, and investigators have not said whether the fire caused or contributed to the death found there. This remains a developing story, and Hoodline will update as the King County Sheriff's Office and Medical Examiner's Office release more information.
