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UPDATED: Body found in rubble of home decimated by fire

Utah Channel 3

CEDAR CITY — A fire destroyed a Cedar City home Sunday afternoon, and Monday morning Cedar City police released a statement that a man’s body was found in the rubble of the home.

Cedar City Police Sgt. Clint Pollock said officers received the initial call from dispatch Sunday at 4:47 p.m. involving a house fire on Red Cedar Circle.

Firefighters battle a house fire in Cedar City, Utah, Aug. 12, 2018 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

“Once they arrived on scene, within minutes, the home was fully engulfed,” he said.

Dozens of bystanders, some dressed in Sunday clothes, lined the streets and watched as firefighters directed streams of water onto the burning structure. Multiple fire engines responded, including Cedar City Fire Department’s ladder truck, which was used to attack the blaze from above.

When firefighters cut open the garage door for ventilation access, flames were seen shooting up again through the roof. Although the home’s exterior walls remained standing, the interior was gutted and the structure appeared to be a total loss.

When Pollock briefed news media at the scene at around 6:45 p.m., approximately two hours after the fire began, crews were still checking the structure for hot spots. Police tape was used to cordon off the scene as investigators prepared to check inside the building to find out if anyone was inside the home at the time of the fire.

“We’re not aware if anyone’s in there at this point or not,” Pollock said at that point. “Due to the flames, they (firefighters) were unable to enter.”

However, Monday morning Pollock released a statement saying that later Sunday night, while in the process of removing rubble, a male subject was found deceased inside the home. Investigators found evidence that suggests the male subject died from an apparent suicide, the statement said, adding that the body will be sent to the medical examiner’s office to determine the exact cause of death and identification.

Pollock said the cause of the fire is also not yet known, but the incident is under active investigation.

This is a developing story.

This report is based on preliminary information provided by law enforcement or other emergency responders and may not contain the full scope of findings.

Updated Aug. 13, 9 a.m. with statement from Cedar City Police Department.

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Email: jrichards@stgnews.com

Twitter: @STGnews

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