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Death of man found at Tooele fire ruled a homicide

Fire crews responding to a wildfire Saturday in Tooele County discovered the remains of a deceased man on the edge of the flames.

The death has now been ruled a homicide, sparking an investigation into how the man was killed, the Tooele County Sheriff’s Office announced Monday in a news release. The office is also trying to determine whether the death was connected to the fire, the cause of which is also under investigation.

The fire ignited at 12:35 p.m. Saturday east of Stockton where Soldier Canyon exits the Oquirrh Mountains, forcing the canyon’s evacuation. Firefighters discovered the body and summoned sheriff’s deputies, who could not begin investigating the scene until the flames were sufficiently contained.

While processing the scene, they gathered enough evidence to indicate the death was a homicide, according to the release, which was posted on Facebook at about 5 p.m. Monday.

A white Honda Accord was found abandoned nearby. The release did not provide any details about the victim or the crime scene.

Investigators ask anyone who was hunting, camping or hiking in Soldier Canyon on Saturday to call the sheriff’s office at 435-277-4212.