Recently, Liepaja was stirred by news of a fire in an abandoned wooden house, where police discovered a deceased man only four days after extinguishing the flames. Locals note that the house had long been abandoned and was regularly used for shelter by homeless individuals. However, the valuable items found with the deceased make the circumstances of the fire much more mysterious, reports the program Degpunktā (TV3).
Surveillance cameras on Atmodas Boulevard captured a man who was staggering along the road in the evening, trying to reach one of the wooden houses.
Soon he reached the building, after which silence settled in the area for several hours. Three hours later, the house suddenly erupted in bright flames.
The fire threatened the nearby summer cottages. That evening, Venera went to check if her property was in danger:
"We received a call in the evening saying that there was a fire across from our garden. There was a strong wind, so we went to take a look. There were a lot of firefighters, an ambulance, and police. We saw that the fire was being put out well, turned around, and left."
The greatest challenge for the firefighters was the interior of the house — it was filled with all sorts of things and debris.
The fire was extinguished, but no traces of the staggering resident were found. The firefighters left, but four days later they had to return — the State Police discovered the body of a burned man under the rubble.
The house had long been abandoned, so for the locals, it was not unusual to see a homeless person going in to spend the night.
They speculate that the last occupant accidentally set the building on fire and perished in the flames. Local resident Venera says:
"I think a homeless person went in there, decided to warm up, spend the night — that’s all. And it caught fire. Maybe he was drunk."
Imran has been working near this wooden house for a long time. He recounts that an elderly woman used to live there, who passed away. Since then, the house has been abandoned, and the burned man was often found there.
"A homeless person! But how could a homeless person start a fire? Well, apparently, he was drunk. He probably lived there for about two months," Imran says.
The identity of the deceased has not yet been established. The State Police found valuable items with his body, raising doubts about whether he was truly homeless.
Law enforcement agencies are asking anyone with information that could help identify the deceased to come forward. Calls should be made to 112.
