Police are investigating after officers found a person dead following a fire at a homeless encampment in northeast Minneapolis.
Fire crews responded around 11:40 a.m. Wednesday to reports of dark smoke coming from behind the Minnesota Firefighters Museum, at 664 22nd Av. NE., and behind the Edison High School bleachers, Assistant Fire Chief Melanie Rucker said Thursday.
Crews arrived to find a large fire burning a homeless encampment and the surrounding trees and brush, Rucker said. Firefighters described it as a small encampment, Rucker said.
The crews extinguished the fire and afterwards found a body in the burned area, the assistant fire chief said. They notified the Minneapolis Police Department, and officers responded to begin an investigation.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, Rucker said.
The person was not identified as of Thursday night.
Officers canvassed the area, and forensic scientists responded to assist with processing the scene, the Police Department said in a news release. The police investigation is ongoing, according to a spokesperson.
