Man found dead after 'self-extinguished' fire at Oak Cliff home

Man found dead inside burning Oak Cliff home

We're following a deadly fire in the Oak Cliff area of Dallas where fire crews found a man dead inside a home.

DALLAS - A man was found dead inside an Oak Cliff home early Tuesday morning following a fire that appeared to have burned itself out before firefighters arrived.

Curtis Ray Beechum

What we know:

Dallas Fire-Rescue crews responded to a 911 call for a structure fire at a one-story home in the 1700 block of South Marsalis Avenue around 5 a.m.

Upon arrival, firefighters reported no visible flames or smoke showing from the exterior. After forcing entry into the residence, crews discovered that a fire had already self-extinguished.

Inside the home, firefighters located a man with severe burn injuries. He was unresponsive and pronounced dead at the scene. 

The family has identified the victim as 75-year-old Curtis Ray Beechum.

What we don't know:

The Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office and Dallas Police homicide detectives are working to determine the man’s official cause of death. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.