Firefighters find man dead while battling apartment fire in south Phoenix

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) — A man is dead after an apartment fire broke out early Tuesday morning in south Phoenix.

The fire started around 6:30 a.m. at a complex on Baseline Road near 32nd Street. When firefighters arrived on the scene, they found heavy smoke and fire coming from the entryway of the two-story complex. Crews called for additional units and took a defensive stance to fight the fire. During the search, firefighters found a man, later identified as 55-year-old Maen El-Kurdi, who wasn’t breathing. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Phoenix Fire Capt. Todd Keller says the man was the only tenant of the apartment, per reports by neighbors. No one else was hurt.

It’s currently unclear how the fire started or how many units were affected. The scene has been turned over to the Phoenix Fire Investigation Task Force and Phoenix police.

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