A house fire reported Thursday night in the Westlake area south of Dayton left one person dead and remains under investigation, according to Liberty County Fire Marshal Nathan Green.
The fire was reported at approximately 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 26, at a home on County Road 4267, located off FM 1409. A neighbor called authorities after seeing the home on fire.
Emergency Services District No. 3 (Westlake) was the first to arrive on scene and found the front of the wood-frame house heavily involved in flames. Firefighters began an offensive attack in an effort to contain the fire.
Four people are believed to have been living in the home. Three occupants were outside when firefighters arrived. One male occupant escaped through a window and suffered cuts from broken glass, requiring treatment at the scene.
Officials said three people were inside the home when the fire started, while a fourth person had left shortly beforehand.
Firefighters later discovered the body of one person in a back room of the residence. The victim has not yet been identified. According to Green, the body was heavily burned, and an autopsy scheduled for Tuesday, March 31, is expected to help confirm the identity.
Four fire departments responded to the scene, including Dayton, ESD 3, Mont Belvieu, and one additional department.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Green said investigators are working to reconcile conflicting accounts from witnesses with evidence found at the scene, and officials are continuing to gather statements.