One person is dead and another injured in an overnight fire in Rockford.

It happened around 1:30 this morning at an abandoned building at 715 S. Main St.

Winnebago County Coroner Sue Fiduccia says the victim is believed to be a 59-year old woman. Her body was burned beyond recognition.

Fiduccia says the Coroner's Office will attempt to identify the woman through dental records.

Rockford Fire Department says the other victim was rescued from the building and treated for injuries.

Fire officials believe up to four homeless people were living in the building. They believe a trash fire built to keep warm, got out of control and led to Rockford's first fire death of 2010.

The Rockford Fire Department says they respond to cases like this three or four times a year.

"Some of us get out on the street and you know, we start using and knowing that we can't really come here using so we find another shelter and that's where we go to party or whatever you know." says a homeless man who has lived in vacant buildings before. He wishes to remain anonymous.

Although some homeless are up to no good, many are just seeking shelter from cold nights. The Rockford Rescue Mission offers shelter, but their generosity doesn't appeal to everyone.

"We've had up to 107 people in our shelter in the night, just in the men's shelter. Some people are not comfortable being around a large number of people like that." says Bill Feffer, Men's Crisis Supervisor for the Mission.

Vacant buildings are dangerous. When the city discovers people living in one, social services take action to find them a safer home.

"Usually we link them to one of the providers that can provide housing to them. We get them set up, we find them a private residence or a program if that's more appropriate for them." says Jennifer Jager, Community Services Director.

The number of Rockford's homeless has been rising the last few years. City administrators say there is little they can do to stop these tragedies from happening because if someone wants to get into a building, they will find a way.

There are more than 600 homeless people living in Rockford and the number continues to rise. Many are either domestic violence survivors, suffer from a mental illness, or have substance abuse problems.