FOLEY, Ala. — Human remains discovered in a storage building at Foley High School following a Christmas Day fire have been identified as Lance Bammer, a 41-year-old white male who was temporarily staying with family in the area.

According to Foley Fire Chief Joey Darby, Bammer’s death appears to have been accidental. Arson and any other type of foul play have been ruled out at this time.

Bammer, who was dealing with personal issues at the time, had taken a walk to clear his head on the afternoon of Dec. 24, Darby said at a press conference Friday morning.

“With a fast-approaching severe weather front, we believe that Mr. Bammer sought shelter from the deteriorating weather conditions in the storage building at Foley High."

Officials named cigarettes as a possible cause of the fire, though that is still uncertain.

“Due to the intensity and duration of the fire, we lack sufficient evidence at this time to determine an exact cause of the fire and fire death,” Darby said.

According to Foley Police Chief David Wilson, alcohol may have also been involved.

Though no accelerants were discovered at or near the scene, Wilson said “the shed was full from floor to ceiling with paperwork.”

Due to the intensity of the fire, officials were left with little evidence to pursue leads as to the cause of the fire or identity of the deceased.

It wasn’t until Dec. 28, when a concerned person from Mississippi who had seen the media coverage of the fire and contacted the FPD, that officials were able to begin to piece things together.

“This individual was concerned because they had not heard from a close acquaintance since Christmas Eve, and that acquaintance was last known to be in the Foley area,” Darby said.

After the individual positively identified a wrist watch found at the scene, the investigation began to yield further results.

Officials contacted Bammer’s family and discovered he had been missing since the fire occurred. On Wednesday, Jan. 13, a medical examiner positively identified the deceased as Bammer.

“The teamwork throughout this process has been amazing,” Wilson said. “We are grateful to all involved that it was such a fast process to get results as well as closure.”