TALLADEGA — A man who apparently died in a house fire in Talladega early Friday morning remained unidentified Monday afternoon, according to reports filed with the city’s police and fire departments.

According to Police Chief Alan Watson, investigators were able to determine the deceased was male, but other than that, only a very tentative identification was possible. Fingerprints and dental records are unlikely to be useful in the situation, so most likely DNA testing will have to be utilized. The state forensics lab has a backlog of cases going back several months.

Firefighters arrived on the scene, 124 Diamond Lane, at 1:38 a.m. and remained there until almost 6 a.m. According to Fire Capt. Ronny Davis, the house is a total loss. The cause of the fire also remained under investigation Monday.

Three off-duty firefighters were called in to help battle the blaze, and the state Fire Marshal’s Office and Winterboro and Sycamore volunteer fire departments responded as well. The Talladega Police Department and Talladega County Coroner’s Office was also notified when it became clear that there was a burned body inside the residence.

Watson said there were not any obvious signs of foul play, but it was still too early to cite a specific cause of death. The house was a rental property.

Davis said the department was particularly grateful to the volunteer departments for “water support and additional personnel, particularly in this cold weather.”