A Muncie firefighter who joined a large battle to suppress a raging blaze at a local church was found dead after the structure's roof collapsed, officials said.
The Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Fire sent an agent to investigate the cause of the fire.
Other firefighters gathered around the body of Scott Davis, a seven-year veteran of the Muncie Fire Department. A U.S. flag was draped over a white sheet where his body was found among the debris, WTHR-TV (Channel 13) of Indianapolis reported.
Delaware County coroner Scott Hahn released the name of the victim to the Daily News around 11 p.m. after contacting the family early that evening. Hahn said a press conference will be held sometime this morning regarding the fire.
Dan Ivy, Muncie Fire Department battalion chief, said it was the first time a man died in the line of duty since June 1998, in which a man died of a heart attack at the station after helping put out a fire.
A radio dispatcher reported Wednesday's fire at Tabernacle of Praise Church, on the south side of Muncie, around 3:55 p.m. The person reported that a firefighter was missing after the roof collapsed 15 minutes later, the Associated Press reported.
MFD was the first to respond, and it enlisted help from other volunteer departments.
"It's a tough loss any time a firefighter dies," said Indiana Fire Marshal Jim Greeson. "It impacts the whole fire service."
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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