NEWS RELEASE
MICHIGAN STATE POLICE
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On Feb. 21, 2025, at approximately 3 p.m., troopers from the Michigan State Police (MSP) St. Ignace Post responded to a welfare check at a residence on Portage Street in Moran Township.
As troopers arrived and were outside the residence, the house suddenly erupted in flames. The fire spread rapidly and is believed to have been fueled by an accelerant.
As the fire intensified, suspected gunshots were heard from within the residence. Due to the danger posed by the fire, troopers could not immediately enter the home. The St. Ignace Fire Department was immediately requested, and they responded to extinguish the fire. The house was a complete loss.
After the fire was put out, MSP Fire Investigation Unit personnel responded to the scene to assist. MSP Crime Lab personnel responded to help process the scene, and the MSP Bomb Squad responded to be available if any suspicious devices were located due to the speed at which the fire had started.
See St. Ignace house fire near school property this afternoon
A search of the residence resulted in locating the body of a single deceased individual, believed to be the adult male homeowner. The preliminary investigation indicates that the fire was deliberately set. The fire and the suspected gunshots appear to have been a self-inflicted effort by the homeowner to take his own life.
Another adult known to reside at the home was not present during the incident and remains unharmed. Nobody else is believed to have been in the residence when the fire started. No other bodies or suspicious devices were discovered.
MSP will continue to investigate this incident, including forensically processing the evidence and having a forensic autopsy completed. The name of the deceased subject is not being released at this time.
MSP was assisted by the St. Ignace Fire Department, Mackinac County Sheriff's Department, St. Ignace Police Department, Straits Area EMS, and Chippewa County Dispatch.
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