A man was found dead inside a burned-out car in a South Philadelphia parking lot early Sunday morning, just across the street from Philadelphia International Airport. The fire broke out shortly after 2 a.m. in the lot of Pendergast Safety Company on Enterprise Avenue, and investigators have not determined how the man died or confirmed who he is.
According to NBC10 Philadelphia, Philadelphia police said the fire ignited just after 2 a.m. on Sunday in the lot along Enterprise Avenue, directly across from the airport. The outlet reports that investigators have not been able to verify the man's identity because of how badly the fire burned the vehicle.
Police and the Fire Marshal's Office spent hours combing through the wreckage and the surrounding lot, the station's report states. The Fire Marshal's Office also brought in a dog to assist with the investigation, while the Philadelphia Police Department's Crime Scene Unit responded separately to process the scene.
What Investigators Are Still Trying to Determine
Exactly what sparked the fire and how the man died remain open questions, per the same account. A nearby employee told the outlet he heard what sounded like an explosion in the area, though no cause has been confirmed. The outlet notes it has reached out to the Philadelphia Police Department for additional details on the investigation.
The location itself is notably quiet most mornings. The area typically sees little traffic, particularly during the early morning hours on Sundays, which may help explain why the fire went unnoticed for a stretch before it was discovered.
A Separate, Unrelated Case in Southwest Philadelphia
The South Philadelphia case follows another burning-car death investigated earlier in Southwest Philadelphia, as reported by 6abc. In that incident, a passerby called police after finding a black Honda two-door coupe fully engulfed in flames with a male victim in the front driver's seat. Investigators in that case found a gas can in the trunk and determined an accelerant had been used, 6abc reported, though police said at the time they had no witnesses, motives or suspects and were questioning the victim's relatives.
The cause of Sunday's fire and how the man died remain under investigation. Whether the earlier case is connected to the airport-area fire remains unclear.
For now, the man found dead near Philadelphia International Airport remains unidentified, and the cause of his death is still under investigation.
