UPDATE DECEMBER 10, 2021:
Authorities have released the name of a man who was found dead this week after Watertown firefighters extinguished a garage fire.
The victim is identified as 66 year-old Peter “Johnny” Tauer.
The fire at 1004 First Avenue Southeast was reported as a possible structure fire at 8:30 Wednesday (Dec. 8, 2021) morning. Fire crews arrived to find a duplex home with no one inside, and smoke coming from the nearby garage. Tauer’s body was discovered after the fire was extinguished.
Watertown Police Detective Sergeant Trevor Barthel says autopsy results are pending. The initial investigation indicates the cause of the fire was accidental in nature.
UPDATE DECEMBER 9, 2021:
Watertown police have released a bit more information on a person found dead in a garage fire yesterday morning (Dec. 8, 2021).
Fire crews were called to 1004 First Avenue Southeast just after 8:30. When they got there, they found the duplex home had no one inside, and smoke coming from an adjacent garage. The fire was extinguished, and that’s when the deceased male was found.
Watertown Police Sergeant Trevor Barthel says the initial investigation indicates the cause of the fire was accidental in nature.
An autopsy is being conducted on the victim, whose name has not been released..
The South Dakota Fire Marshal, South Dakota DCI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms are assisting local authorities in the investigation.
ORIGINAL STORY DECEMBER 8, 2021:
One person has died in a garage fire in Watertown.
Watertown Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Tyler McElhany says fire crews were called yesterday morning (Dec. 8, 2021) on a report of a possible structure fire.
When they got there, they immediately entered the duplex home to search for occupants, but found no one. Then they entered the garage and extinguished the fire and discovered one fatality victim.
McElhany says the fire did not get into the home, other than smoke damage. The fire scene was later turned over to Watertown police for an ongoing investigation that also includes the South Dakota Fire Marshal’s Office.
The name, age and gender of the victim have not been released.
(Watertown Radio contributed to this story.)
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