GOLD HILL — A 57-year-old man died in a fire that was reported by a passing motorist just before 10 p.m. last night, according to the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies took over the investigation as soon as the body of a man was found in a camper on property in the 3400 block of St. Peter’s Church Road. The source and cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Deputies said the victim and his wife had been living in a camper on the property during renovations to their home. A neighbor was driving by about 9:46 p.m. and told emergency dispatch she saw the camper “fully engulfed in flames” so she immediately called 911.

The victim’s wife was at work at the time of the fire, but was contacted by neighbors and was at the scene.

Investigators say they are waiting for autopsy results to determine the victim’s cause of death.

A neighbor who asked not to be identified described the couple as “devoted to one another, such kind, kind folks. My heart breaks for his wife.”

The camper appeared to be relatively new, deputies said, though they did not have the exact year of manufacture. Heavy fire damage is apparent on one end, but there are dark fire marks all the way down the top of the camper. It was described as having a living area with an upper sleeping loft. Neighbors said they thought the couple had been living in the camper for close to a year.