LAKE RIDGE, Va. — Homicide and fire investigators are trying to determine why a man was found unconscious when they arrived to fight an overnight apartment fire in Prince William County.

Police and firefighters responded to a fire on the third floor of a three-story apartment complex in the 3500 block of Sherbrooke Circle in Lake Ridge around 11:30 p.m. Monday.

The fire was small, officials said, but crews found an unconscious man inside the apartment with the fire. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The county crime scene unit and fire marshal’s office were processing evidence Tuesday morning.

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It is unclear, this early in the investigation, how, when, and why the man died.

The victim will be transported to the medical examiner’s office for further examination and identification.

Damage from the fire was not visible from outside the building. Nearby apartments suffered some water damage.

The investigation is ongoing.