BOGUE CHITTO — A Bogue Chitto man was found dead inside his home on Calvary Drive Southwest early Sunday morning after firefighters put out the blaze which had engulfed the house.

Dwayne E. Burns, 69, was a retired law enforcement officer having served with both the Mississippi Highway Patrol and the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office.

Bogue Chitto VFD Chief Blake Wallace said units responded to a call shortly after 3 a.m. today. Wallace, a friend of Burns’, was the first to arrive.

“The house was completely, fully engulfed,” he said.

Burns’ grandson met Wallace in the yard and said he believed his grandfather, who lived alone in  the single-story, wood-frame house, was still inside. The man’s vehicle and motorcycle were both parked nearby and they did a search around the exterior of the home for Burns.

Wallace said after firefighters put out the fire, Burns was found deceased inside the residence.

He said the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office initiated an investigation, which is procedure anytime a fatality is connected to a fire. The state fire marshal is expected to arrive today or Monday, he said.

Firefighters from Bogue Chitto, Hog Chain and Zetus volunteer fire departments spent several hours at the scene, Wallace said.