From The Tribune staff reports
BIRMINGHAM — Birmingham Fire & Rescue found a person dead while responding to a structure fire in the Wylam community.
The person was found on Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021, at 7:06 p.m. The fire was at a residence in the 1200 block of Knoxville Street, in Birmingham.
Crews encountered fire coming out of the right side of the house and quickly extinguished it, Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service Battalion Chief Jackie Hix said.
Investigators say they were not able to determine whether the victim was male or female. Jefferson County Coroner Bill Yates said the cause and manner of death have not been determined. His office is working to establish a positive identification on the person.
Birmingham Fire & Rescue and the Birmingham Police Department are investigating.
The death is Birmingham’s first fire fatality of 2021. There were 13 fire deaths in the city last year.