FORT COLLINS, Colo. — Fort Collins detectives are investigating after an adult's remains were found inside a house fire.
Around 4:23 a.m. Tuesday, multiple 911 callers reported a fire in the 2000 block of Churchill Court. When officers and Poudre Fire Authority firefighters arrived, they found a home fully engulfed in flames, the Fort Collins Police Services said in a press release.
Firefighters worked to extinguish the fire from the outside of the home "due to the intensity of the fire and potential instability of the structure," Fort Collins police said. Detectives were called to the scene to investigate the nature of the incident.
Detectives worked to make sure everyone associated with the home was safe, but were unable to make contact with a woman who lived there.
Fort Collins officers kept watch at the home throughout the night. At some point, they noticed a man near the scene and made contact with him, the department said.
The man had active warrants for his arrest, and there was an active protection order prohibiting him from being near the home, according to Fort Collins police. He was arrested and interviewed by detectives before being booked into the Larimer County Detention Center for the warrants and for violation of a protection order.
The home was deemed safe to enter Wednesday. Inside, investigators found a deceased adult's remains.
“I’m grateful for the strong relationships we have with our regional and federal partners. Our detectives are working seamlessly with them and the resources available to figure out what happened in this case and will continue to do so until more questions are answered. Our hearts go out to those impacted by this tragedy,” Lieutenant Jeremy Yonce, who oversees the Fort Collins detectives investigating this case, said in a statement.
The Larimer County coroner will determine the decedent's cause and manner of death, and will release their identity at a later time.
Anyone with information about the fire is asked to contact Detective Corporal Tessa Jakobsson at 970-221-6575. Tipsters can remain anonymous and contact Crime Stoppers of Larimer County at 970-221-6868 or www.stopcriminals.org.
