The identity of a man, believed to be local, who perished two weeks ago in a fire at an abandoned cabin near the community of West Baptiste, is still unconfirmed.
The remains of the man are with the medical examiner’s office in Edmonton but it may take up to a month to positively identify the victim, according to Athabasca RCMP Sgt. Brian Scott.
The local RCMP responded to a report of a fire at the cabin on the evening of Jan. 4.
“An investigation in conjunction with Edmonton Fire Investigation office lead to the recovery of human remains within the burned out structure,” said Scott.
Scott said although the cabin was abandoned and without power, police believe the elderly man lived there alone.
“We think we know who we are looking for,” he stated. “I would suggest he is local if it is who we think it is.”
At this stage in the investigation the cause of the fire remains unknown.
“As there was no power there, it was obviously not electrical,” explained Scott. “There are a lot of unanswered questions but at this point in time, it is not suspicious.”
Scott said the medical examiner has numerous methods for identifying the remains if fingerprinting is not possible, including using dental records, medical records and DNA matching.
The fire was first reported at 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 4 and a fire crew arrived on the scene.
Police came to structure at 6 p.m. They conducted an examination of the scene with the fire investigation office and made the grim discovery.
