Philadelphia police have identified the man who was found dead in a burning building in the city’s Harrowgate neighborhood on Monday.
According to police, the body of Gary Schmeltzer, 28, of the 6200 block of East Drive in Bensalem, was discovered after firefighters extinguished a blaze at a home along the 1800 block of East Clementine Street.
Schmeltzer’s body was discovered on Monday, after, police said, officers in the city’s 24th police district were flagged down about a fire at a home on East Clementine Street at about 10:52 p.m. Firefighters from Engine 25 found Schmeltzer’s body after extinguishing the blaze, police said.
Contacted Wednesday afternoon, Officer Troy Brown, a police spokesperson, said that there was no cause of death determined, and he noted that an earlier report, made elsewhere, that claimed the fire had been ruled arson was a “miscommunication.”
The fire has not been ruled arson by the fire marshall though, Brown said, the city’s homicide unit is investigating the incident.
The city’s Fire Marshall’s Office is also still investigating the cause of the fire, law enforcement officials said.
This is a breaking news story and it will be updated as more information is made available.
