Body found after fire in rear of box truck

A man’s body was found after a fire in the back of a large box truck in a storage lot in Mifflin Township, officials said Saturday.

The Mifflin Township Fire Department responded to a report of a structure fire in the 3200 block of Westerville Road about 12:30 a.m. Friday and found a utility and box truck engulfed in flames. But authorities didn’t discover the burned body in the back of the box truck until later that day after the sun had risen.

Fire officials believe the blaze was accidental and could have been started by someone trying to cook or stay warm while living out of the truck.

Residents say a homeless man had been seen in the area recently, Mifflin Township Fire Chief Fred Kauser said. The cause of the fire and the man’s death remain under investigation, but authorities do not suspect foul play at this time.

Mifflin Township officials are awaiting a report from the Franklin County coroner’s office before completing its investigation.

In the meantime, Kauser urged residents to work with local law enforcement officials if they see someone living in a makeshift or abandoned structure during the remaining weeks of winter so they can be referred to a shelter and other services.

“You think about a man dying in the back of a truck, we’re better than that,” he said.