A second-year doctoral student in SHSU’s criminal justice program died early Saturday morning after a fire broke out at a duplex located at 602 Normal Park Drive in Huntsville. In-Bum Lee, 28, from South Korea, was found lying down in a bedroom by firefighters shortly after they doused the blaze. He was pronounced dead at the scene by Justice of the Peace Janie Farris, acting as coroner.A witness to the fire, who lives on the same street said the flames were raging 10 to 15 feet above the roof of the one-story duplex when he was asked to leave his home by a firefighter. An orange glow enveloped the area, he said.Lee’s body has been transported to the Dallas County Coroner’s Office for an autopsy.A Huntsville Fire Department official said firefighters arrived to the burning home about 2 a.m. Saturday morning, and stayed on the scene for about four hours. The official said the state Fire Marshall is currently performing a formal investigation of the incident, which is policy whenever a death is involved.Neighbors said Lee had moved into the residence about a month ago. Another student, who had visited Lee’s portion of the duplex late Friday evening, said a group of people were having a barbeque in the backyard. The coals may have been left burning, he said, which could have started the house fire.Fifteen Huntsville firefighters, along with a few from out of town responded to the fire. Three fire engines were used.”I thought our house was going to catch too,” said a neighbor, “but it didn’t.”The backside of 602 Normal Park Drive lies in an ashen heap, with much of the rest of the duplex completely destroyed.
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