(Tama, Iowa) – A Tama County Deputy on patrol Saturday afternoon, noticed heavy smoke coming from an area off of Highway 30 east of Tama, near Exit 204. When he investigated, the Deputy found a vehicle fully engulfed in flames south of the railroad tracks, in a remote and hard-to-reach area in the 3400 block of N Avenue, just south of Highway 30.

The Deputy immediately notified dispatch, and Tama Fire Department and Tama EMS were paged to the scene. Due to the thick brush and intensity of the fire, it was initially unclear whether anyone was inside the vehicle. Once Tama Fire began knocking down the flames, an elderly male was found deceased in a deep ditch with standing water near the driver’s side of the vehicle. His name was not immediately released.

The case remains under investigation. The individual’s next of kin was notified, and the body of the individual was transported to the State Medical Examiner’s Office for autopsy. At this time, authorities say no foul play is suspected.

Tama County Sheriff Casey Schmidt said thanks to Deputy Dvorak for being alert and quick to act when he saw the smoke, the fire was brought under control quickly and was kept from spreading further into the dry brush. In his news release, the Sheriff said “With how dry the conditions have been recently, his timing likely prevented a much larger and more dangerous fire.”