National City police are investigating after a body was found in a transient encampment where a two-alarm brush fire had burned earlier Wednesday near the Westfield Plaza Bonita Mall, authorities said.
The body was discovered in the middle of the active fire scene near Interstate 805 and state Route 54, said Frank Parra, National City's director of emergency services.
A dispatcher said police investigators responded to the scene when the body was found. The investigation is continuing, she said.
The fire ignited about 12:40 p.m., and crews had it out by 1:15 p.m., said Chula Vista Deputy Fire Chief Jim Garcia. The fire burned a little more than an acre, but no structures were ever threatened, Garcia said.
Fire crews from National City, Chula Vista and San Diego responded to the blaze, and San Diego's helicopter was used to help douse the flames, he said.
The blaze sent heavy smoke into the air, according to 10News, a KPBS media partner.