MORAN TOWNSHIP (WWJ) - Michigan State Police said they believe the fire was intentionally set by the homeowner.
Troopers from the MSP St. Ignace Post went to do a welfare check at a home on Portage Street in Moran Twp. on Friday around 3 p.m.
As troopers were outside the home, it “suddenly erupted in flames.” Authorities said the fire is believed to have been fueled by an accelerant based on the speed at which it spread.
As the fire grew, troopers heard what they believed to be gunshots from inside. Due to the fire, they were unable to enter the home immediately.
The St. Ignace Fire Department was called, and they were able to extinguish the fire. The house was a complete loss.
After the fire was extinguished, personnel from both the MSP Fire Investigation Unit and the MSP Crime Lab arrived to assist. The MSP Bomb Squad also responded in case any suspicious devices were located due to the speed of the fire.
The body of a body, believed to be the man who owned the home, was found during a search of the residence.
The preliminary investigation showed that the fire was deliberately set, authorities said. “The fire and the suspected gunshots appear to have been a self-inflicted effort by the homeowner to take his own life.”
No one else is believed to have been in the home at the time. No other bodies or suspicious devices were found.
The identity of the dead man has not been released at this time.
MSP is awaiting results of an autopsy. They are also forensically processing evidence.