Boone fire

Boone fire (WHO)

One person has been confirmed dead in a fire that began early Tuesday morning in downtown Boone. Most of the downtown area remains shut down as firefighters continue work on hotspots in the building that housed several businesses and apartments.

Officials say the body of 25-year-old Benjamin Ziegenmeyer was found in the rubble.

Police got the call to come out to 803 Story around 4:20 Tuesday morning. Firefighters from Boone, Ogden and Ames all helped with the effort to get the fire under control, but the flames were not the only concern.

Freezing temperatures made the fire harder to fight. "When I went to talk to the fire chief he had a hard time bending over 'cause he had so much water on him. He was frozen solid from head to toe with all the water blowing through the air," says Boone city administrator Nelson.

Investigators think the fire started in one of the apartments, but the cause is still under investigation.