Person killed in fire at abandoned site

A person was killed this morning in a fire at an abandoned chemical refinery site in East Palo Alto, firefighters said.

Firefighters responded just after 1 a.m. to the abandoned Romic Chemical Refinery Site on Bay Road on a report of a fire.

Crews discovered a construction-style office trailer on fire and later discovered a body in the burned out trailer, firefighters said.

The site had been abandoned years ago, and the only items left on the former plant site were trailers and storage containers, firefighters said.

There was power to the trailers, and investigators suspect the victim was transient, possibly using the trailer for shelter, firefighters said.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation. The identity of the person killed has not been released.