Box Elder County house fire suspected as suicide

What initially appeared to be a routine rural house fire has turned into a suspected suicide in Box Elder County.

Box Elder County sheriff's Lt. Kevin Potter said firefighters found a charred body inside the smoldering remains of the small wood home that went up in flames about noon Thursday.

Potter said Friday that the victim is suspected to have been the sole male occupant of the house near 16450 N. Beaver Road in the community of Beaver Dam.

However, Potter declined to release the man's name until the Utah Medical Examiner's Office conducts forensic tests and an autopsy.

Potter said fire investigators have determined that the blaze was intentionally set.

"Our preliminary conclusion is that this apparently was a suicide," he said.

He declined to release any other details about the fire or occupant, noting that the investigation is ongoing.

remims@sltrib.com

Twitter: @remims