Man succumbs to fire

An unidentified man died due to what appeared to be fire burns to his body in North Lawrence at 2 a.m. Feb. 2, police said.

Found by a person who was taking a break from sanding the roads, the man, who is believed to be homeless, was in the rear of a building at 343 Rockaway Turnpike that is currently vacant and formerly housed a small grocery store.

According to police, the man found burned was surrounded by several cans of sterno that he used to keep warm and body wash, which they think combined and ignited the fire that burned him.

The Nassau County Arson Bomb Squad responded to the scene found the man severely burned. He was pronounced dead at 2:25 a.m., by a county medical technician at the scene, according to police.

The man’s body was taken to the Medical Examiner’s office for identification and the investigation is continuing.

Detectives are asking anyone with information about this incident to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-8477. All calls are kept confidential.