FORT SMITH -- A man who likely was homeless died in a trailer fire behind a downtown business Wednesday night, according to a fire marshal.
The man, who was not identified Thursday, was found in a semitrailer parked on a lot at Marck Recycling at 301 N. Second St., Fire Marshal Carey St. Cyr said. He said the department received the alarm at 9:37 p.m.
The trailer was fully ablaze when firefighters arrived and was gutted by the fire, St. Cyr said. An empty trailer next to it also was damaged by heat. Firefighters extinguished the fire in about 20 minutes.
St. Cyr said the man was believed to be homeless and probably was seeking shelter from the cold. He said the owners of the property told him they often encounter homeless people in their trailers during cold weather.
The man's body was found in the center of the trailer, which contained rolls of light plastic, St. Cyr said. Any possessions the man may have had were destroyed in the fire.
A cause for the fire hasn't been determined, St. Cyr said. The Sebastian County Coroner's office took possession of the body and is sending it to the state medical examiner's office for autopsy.
State Desk on 01/18/2019