Fire crews rushed to an early morning house fire on Tucson’s northwest side last week.

According to a press release from the Northwest Fire District, the blaze broke out around 3 a.m. at a house in the 5200 block of North Gerhart Road, not far from Vereda del Coyotito, on Friday, June 22.

When firefighters arrived on the scene, the home was already heavily engulfed by the flames and the roof was partially compromised. First responders tried to locate any people inside the home, but were unable to do so until the fire was brought under control. It was then that crews discovered a victim in a section of the home that had been significantly damaged by the flames, which took 24 firefighters nearly 40 minutes to get under control.

As part of standard procedure for all fatal fires, Northwest Fire and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department are investigating the cause of the blaze.

For more information, please visit the official website here.

Photo: Northwest Fire District