CLIFTON — A man whose body was found Friday in a burning home in Clifton committed suicide, according to the Mesa County Sheriff’s Department.
The Mesa County coroner’s office has identified the man as Earnest Ray Brown, 55, said sheriff’s spokeswoman Heather Benjamin.
Brown owned the home. Police have not yet determined whether he started the fire before shooting himself, and an investigation is underway, Benjamin said.
Mesa County Sheriff’s Department deputies spotted the blaze, and 13 firefighters with the Clifton Fire Department responded to the scene.
Firefighters from the Clifton Fire Protection District fought the blaze for about 30 minutes before discovering the body.
Investigators think the fire started in the living room, according to the Mesa County Sheriff’s Department.
