A person was found dead inside a Des Moines home Sunday evening after firefighters responded to reports of a structure fire in a residential neighborhood.
Emergency dispatchers received multiple 911 calls around 6:35 p.m. reporting flames at a residence in the 1400 block of South 216th Street. South King Fire crews arrived within minutes, while Des Moines Police Department officers secured the perimeter and managed traffic as smoke poured from the building.
Firefighters entered the burning structure to search for occupants and discovered one person dead inside. Crews extinguished the flames after locating the victim. Authorities have not released the victim’s identity pending notification of family members and confirmation through the medical examiner’s office.
King County Fire Investigators and Des Moines Police detectives launched a joint investigation to determine what sparked the blaze and the circumstances surrounding the death. Investigators will examine whether the fire started accidentally or if other factors contributed, and whether the victim died from smoke inhalation, burns, or another cause before the fire began.
The investigation continues as authorities piece together what happened in the hours before neighbors noticed flames coming from the home.
