BIZARRE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUND FATALITY IN TWENTYNINE PALMS HOUSE FIRE

A bizarre set of circumstances surround a house fire in Twentynine Palms Monday, where a man was found hanged and shot. County Fire Battalion Chief Mike Snow said firefighters were called to the 7400 block of Persia at 4:12 p.m. Firefighters from Twentynine Palms, Joshua Tree, Wonder Valley, Yucca Mesa, and the Combat Center arrived to find the home engulfed in smoke and flame. The fire started in the rear bedroom, and during a sweep of the home, Snow said firefighters found the victim hanging in the front bedroom. He had also been shot. According to Snow, family members told fire personnel that the victim had a history of health problems. Firefighters knocked down the blaze in about 30 minutes. The death and cause of the fire is under investigation.