Fire officials are investigating a Birmingham area house fire after a dead body was discovered inside the charred remains of what was thought to be a vacant house.

Birmingham homicide investigators were on the scene Wednesday night.

Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service and Birmingham police responded shortly after 7:30 p.m. Wednesday to a report of a blaze at a house at 1249 Knoxville Street in the Wylam neighborhood.

When firefighters arrived on the scene, they saw flames coming out of the right side of the house. The fire was quickly extinguished, and it was during a secondary search that the body was discovered.

Investigators were not able to determine whether the victim was male or female. No one was reported to currently be living in the house.

The victim’s body was taken to the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office to determine the cause and manner of death.