1 person found dead after St. Paul garage fire

Firefighters found a person dead after a garage fire early Thursday morning in St. Paul. 

The St. Paul Fire Department said crews responded to a detached garage fire on the 700 block of Jenkins Avenue just after 4 a.m. and found the structure engulfed in heavy smoke and flames.

Fire crews entered the burning structure and found a person inside. After pulling the victim outside, the paramedics pronounced the victim dead at the scene. The Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office will conduct an autopsy and identify the victim and cause of death.

Firefighters extinguished the flames, but the garage collapsed from the blaze, which also caused "significant heat and fire damage" to nearby structures, according to fire officials. 

The cause of the fire is not yet known. The home was vacant at the time of the fire, and the property owner informed fire officials the garage had recently been broken into multiple times, according to the press release. 

The incident remains under investigation. No other injuries were reported.