Man found dead in motel fire Thursday morning

According to an AFD statement, the Abilene Fire Department discovered a man found dead inside a motel Thursday morning while responding to a structure fire.

According to the statement, AFD responded to a motel complex in the 3100 block of South First Street around 7:47 a.m. Thursday.

When firefighters arrived on scene, they found heavy smoke coming from a single room in the one-story motel complex.

The emergency services had to force their way in and were able to quickly bring the fire under control.

While extinguishing the fire, emergency services discovered a deceased man in the room. As of Thursday afternoon, the victim’s name had not been released pending notification of next of kin.

The fire is currently under investigation and foul play is not suspected at this time, according to the statement. Property damage is estimated at $25,000.

The Reporter-News will provide updates as new information is released.