Jasper County deputies identify 64-year-old man who died in house fire

The Jasper County Sheriff’s Office has identified the body that was found in a rural home that burned down in March as 64-year-old Dale Albert Schmidt.

The state medical examiner made the identification with DNA samples on Wednesday, according to a news release from the Jasper County Sheriff's Office.

Flames engulfed the home just outside of Colfax on March 16 when firefighters arrived, officials said. As firefighters worked to extinguish the fire, they learned someone was still inside the home.

Agencies from Baxter, Knoxville, Mingo, Mitchellville, Monroe, Newton, Prairie City, the Iowa State Fire Marshal's Office and the Jasper County Sheriff's Office worked with the Colfax Fire Department through the night to put out the fire and search for Schmidt, the release said, but they were slowed by the fire's heat and the need for heavy equipment to remove debris. Officials eventually found Schmidt's body in the basement of the home.

Investigators are still determining the cause of the fire.

José Mendiola is a breaking news reporter for the Register. Reach him at jmendiola@dmreg.com.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Jasper County deputies identify 64-year-old man who died in house fire