Vernal City and Uintah County firefighters responded to a structure fire last Thursday, at approximately 4:10 a.m., near 1500 W. 1750 N. According to Sam Howard, fire chief of Vernal City and Uintah County, when fire crews arrived on scene the two level home was fully engulfed in flames.

“We had suspicions that we did have an individual in there, but the fire was too intense and we couldn’t get inside until it was out,” said Howard.

Crews battled the flames for nearly an hour before they were able to gain access to the inside of the home. Howard said there was a lot of debris to wade through, and confirmed that a man, name and age withheld, had died in the fire. The State Fire Marshall has been called in, and the cause of the fire is still under investigation.