Jackson County Sheriff’s Office detectives are conducting a death investigation in an area burned in Tuesday’s Peninger Fire. Investigators have not yet concluded whether the person died before or during the fire.
On the morning of Thursday, July 19, 2018, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and Fire District 3 officials surveyed the fire area by helicopter. The purpose of the flight was to survey the damage caused by the fire and to help assess the needs for future law enforcement and fire suppression efforts along the Bear Creek Greenway.
During the flight, at 11:23 a.m., a body was spotted within the fire perimeter, next to Bear Creek. Deputies cordoned off the area. JCSO detectives, Fire District 3 personnel, and a medical examiner investigator responded to the scene.
The burned body was found to be that of a man. The scene was located near a suspected transient camp.
At this time, detectives are working to identify the man. An autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause and manner of death. No further information is available for release at this time.
Fire Investigators have worked through the day sifting through the fire debris to determine the origin of the fire. The Fire Investigators have narrowed the area of origin to an approximately eight foot in diameter area which is in close proximity to a transient camp.
This fire is believed to be human-caused. The investigation will be ongoing and further details will be released from the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.
Anyone with information about the fire is asked to call the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office tip line at (541) 774-8333.
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