A 53-year-old homeless man is dead in North Vancouver after a fire broke out in the shipping container he was apparently living in.
Police and fire crews arrived on scene behind a business in the 200-block of Lloyd Avenue at about 10 p.m. Tuesday night to find the container in flames.
The mans body was discovered inside after they extinguished the blaze.
It appeared the victim had been living in the container for up to a year, with a bed, chair, hotplate and television found inside, said Cpl. Richard De Jong, spokesperson for the North Vancouver RCMP, in a release.
De Jong said the man was known to police, who would often see him on the streets of North Vancouver. He survived by panhandling, picking up bottles and scraping together what he could, said De Jong. He called the death tragic.
It appears the fire may have been caused by a candle that was left burning on a chair in the container.
Smoke inhalation has been identified as the preliminary cause of death. The BC Coroners Service will be conducting an autopsy. No foul play is suspected.
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