Photos and story by Robert Carter
One person was found dead inside a burning home Saturday evening, Oct. 10, after firefighters responded to a structure fire across from Fruitvale Elementary School.
Hemet Fire Department crews were dispatched at approximately 5:23 p.m. to a single-story residence on Fruitvale Avenue, where they encountered heavy smoke coming from the home.
Firefighters deployed a rapid intervention crew to search the residence for possible occupants. During the search, crews discovered one person deceased inside the home.
The victim’s identity has not been released, and the cause of death remains undetermined.
The fire spread into the attic and burned through the roof as firefighters worked to bring the blaze under control.
Fruitvale Avenue remained
closed for several hours while emergency personnel continued operations and investigators examined the scene.
Investigators with the Hemet Fire Department and the Hemet Police Department’s crime scene unit responded to determine the origin and cause of the fire.
Authorities have not released additional information about the circumstances surrounding the death or what may have sparked the blaze.
The investigation remains ongoing.
