Investigation underway after death of man in Columbus garage fire

Columbus authorities are investigating the death of a man last night in a garage fire.

According to the Columbus Police Department, officers were called to the 2300 block of Pearl Street at just after 8 p.m. in the evening about an attempted residential entry. Police say that initially a man was reported to be trying to get into a home. When police arrived, they found a man walking toward the back yard. Police say that they tried to get the man to stop, but instead he ran into a detached garage.

Officers cordoned off the area and tried to talk to the man, but soon noticed smoke coming from the building. Police say that they tried to break in but couldn’t and soon the smoke and fire grew too intense and they had to stop their efforts to get inside.

Columbus Fire Department arrived on the scene and began fighting the fire. The body of a man was found inside the garage.

After further investigation, police say that the incident appears to have started as a domestic dispute and they now believe the man lived at the home.

The name of the man has not yet been released. Police detectives, fire department inspectors and the Bartholomew County Coroner’s office are investigating.