Homeless man dies in Muncie house fire

MUNCIE, Ind. (WISH) — A man believed to be homeless died in an abandoned house fire early Saturday morning in Muncie.

Firefighters arrived to a house engulfed in flames in the 600 block of North Madison Street around midnight.

Muncie Fire Department Chief Investigator Robert Mead said 55-year-old Gregory Jackson died in the blaze.

Due to the house collapsing, cadaver dogs were brought in to ensure no other bodies were under the rubble.

An autopsy and toxicology tests will be conducted to determine how Jackson died.

A cause of the fire is still under investigation, but neighbors reported Jackson smoked and used candles as light. Candles were found inside the charred remains of the home, Mead said.

Jackson was known to frequent the area, neighbors told firefighters.