Man in critical condition after fire on South Union Blvd

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- A man is in critical condition after a fire in southeast Colorado Springs on Tuesday morning.

Just before 9 a.m., firefighters responded to a building on fire in the 600 block of South Union Boulevard. Within three minutes, first responders were at the scene and say they found a man fully engulfed in flames.

The man who called 911 to report the fire had tried to put out the fire on the victim by wrapping his jacket around him. Firefighters took over and were able to put out the flames on the man; the victim was transported to a nearby hospital with second and third degree burns.

The Colorado Springs Fire Department says the fire happened at the backside of a building that used to be a Greek restaurant. A lot of debris behind the building had caught fire, causing exterior damage. Firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze before it could reach inside the building.

Crews are still investigating but say they believe the victim may have been a homeless person. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

While firefighters put out the fire, South Union was closed in both directions from Prospect Lake Dr to Fountain St.