Investigators: Man set fire, then fatally shot self

UPDATE @ 5 p.m. April 16:

Preliminary investigation indicates fire victim, Thomas Dixon, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

According to a statement from the Beavercreek Fire Department, it appears that Dixon doused his home with an accelerant and ignited the fire before the shooting.

The Ohio State Fire Marshal is conducting tests to determine the type of accelerant used. The official cause of death will remain pending until a coroner’s autopsy and toxicology results are complete.

There is no evidence to support that Dixon died as a result of the fire or smoke.

FIRST REPORT, April 15:

A homeowner identified as Thomas Dixon, 53, was found dead this morning after an early morning fire in Beavercreek.

Flames were through the roof around 1:30 a.m. when firefighters arrived in the 3200 block of Patsie Drive.

Firefighters entered the home and found the victim in a bedroom, according to Deputy Chief Scott Dorsten.

The Ohio State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating, and there is no word yet on the cause of the housefire.

Dorsten said a neighbor was the first to spot the fire and call 911. The flames destroyed the home.

It is the first fatal fire in Beavercreek in three years, Dorsten said.