Woman's Body Found in Suspicious Fire at Mission Bay Park

The discovery of a body at the site of a suspicious predawn brush fire in Mission Bay Park prompted a homicide investigation Thursday.

Firefighters found the burned body -- believed to be that of a woman -- at about 3 a.m while extinguishing the hillside blaze near a parking lot north of Friars Road west of Napa Street, according to the San Diego Police Department.

In light of the suspicious nature of the fire and the possibly related fatality, SDPD homicide detectives and the San Diego Metro Arson Strike Team were called in to investigate.

"Due to the extensive damage from the fire, information about the (decedent's) identity or any possible injuries is very limited," SDPD Lt. Steve Shebloski said. "It is still very early in the investigation, and little is known about the cause of the fire and the circumstances leading up to the female's death."

Detectives are still collecting evidence from the scene and are asking the public for help with the investigation.

Anyone with information on the incident has been asked to call the Homicide Unit at (619) 531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.