Lifeless body found inside metro-east home destroyed by fire. Cause under investigation

Firefighters found a lifeless body inside a burned home in the 400 block of N. 29th Street in East St. Louis late Friday night.

The man has not been identified, pending family notification, according to St. Clair County Coroner Calvin Dye Sr. Dye said the man was pronounced dead at 12:38 a.m. Saturday.

East St. Louis Assistant Fire Chief Ed Wayne said a call reporting the fire came into the department at 11:13 p.m. Friday. When fire crews arrived, the house was fully involved.

“A lady who had been inside the single-family structure made it out. She was sitting on an ambulance stretcher talking to the police. She told us a man was still inside,” Wayne said.

It took about three hours to completely extinguish the blaze, he said. “We had nine firefighters from (Engine House) 422, 425, and 426 on the scene. We had a lot of hot spots. We had the fire completely out by 2:30 a.m.,” Wayne said.

Wayne said the cause of the fire is unknown and under investigation by the Illinois State Fire Marshal’s office.

“They are handling the fire investigation to determine the cause and origin of the fire,” Wayne said.