Police are trying to identify a man whose body was found.
EDISON -- Police are investigating the death of a man whose body was found in a brush fire Sunday near the Route 1 bridge and behind an apartment complex.
The man, who has not yet been identified, was pronounced dead at 9:50 a.m., Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew Carey said in a joint statement with Edison police Chief Thomas Bryan.
They said the body was discovered at 6:14 a.m. after firefighters were extinguishing a brush fire in a wooded area behind the Valley Manor Apartments.
The apartments are in the shadow of the southbound lanes of Route 1 bridge that spans the Raritan River.
One resident of the apartment, Billy Sullivan, said he heard a loud noise in the wooded area about 6 a.m., looked out the window, and saw the fire.
"I sleep with the windows open. I heard a loud bang," said Sullivan, who lives in the building closest to area burned in the fire. He said he reported the fire.
Police and firefighters remained at the scene throughout the morning. Officers had also cordoned off a small section of the sidewalk along the edge of the Route 1 bridge directly above the wooded area that burned. It was not clear why police were on the bridge.
Carey said police are actively investigating the death and urged anyone with information about the fire or the man to call Edison Detective Joseph Kenney at 732-248-7400, or Detective James Napp of the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office at 732-745-3300.
Tom Haydon may be reached at thaydon@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Tom_HaydonSL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.