Charred Body Found in Ashes
Monday, Jan 12, 2009 | Updated 11:16 AM PDT
Firefighters putting out a blaze at a home on Sunset Knolls Road near Marilla Drive in eastern San Diego County discovered a body in the ashes. It was not a garage fire as previously stated by the fire department.
Heartland Fire officials said the fire was reported at about 10:15 p.m. Sunday in an unincorporated area near Lakeside. It took 25 firefighters from three different fire departments to extinguish the blaze.
Fire Marshall Greg Schreiner of the Lakeside Fire Protection District said, "The interior of the house, about half is destroyed. We are not able to ascertain if there were smoke detectors in the home."
The cause is under investigation, but family members of the victim believe the blaze started when a lit stove got out of control. "There is a potbelly stove in there and that is in the area of origin so that's a possibility," said Schreiner.
The victim is a 43 year old man according to family members but his identity has not been released.
