Firefighters who discovered a man's body in a burning block of flats following say the blaze was a 'tragic accident'.
The man was found dead following a huge fire at the property in Epping, Essex, northeast of London.
Emergency services were called at around 6.30am today, Essex Live reports.
The local fire service investigating the cause of the fire say it is believed to have started in a ground floor flat, spread to the roof of the three-storey building.
The fire chief described the blaze as an accident, but said the damage was so bad it was difficult to determine exactly how the fire started.
Fire Investigator Mark Earwicker said: “Earlier reports suggested this fire started on the ground floor of the block of flats, however, I can confirm it started in a top floor flat before spreading to the roof and adjoining building.
“Following our fire investigation, we now know that the fire started in the open plan kitchen lounge area.
"We have recorded the cause as accidental but because of the extent of fire damage in the flat, it’s difficult to determine exactly how the fire started.
“We believe this was a tragic accident where a man sadly lost his life, and, over the coming days and weeks, we will be working hard to spread our safety messages and offer reassurance and advice to residents.
“As always, our message to every single person in the county is to make sure they have a working smoke alarm on every level of their home. It will alert you to the first sign of fire and give you more time to get out, stay out and call 999.”
An Essex Police statement earlier said: "A man has sadly died following a fire at a flat in Woodland Grove, Epping.
"We were called by the fire service at 7am today, Sunday 21 June. They were attending the blaze and found the body of a man."
Epping Forest District Council set up a rest centre nearby for residents from the block of flats affected by the blaze.
At around 9.30am, Essex County Fire and Rescue Service confirmed that the fire was extinguished.
However, crews remained at the scene to continue dampening down the building and extinguishing hot spots.
