Officials: Fire death of Indiana inmate ruled accidental

MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. (AP) - Officials say the death of a 30-year-old Indiana prisoner during a fire in his cell has been ruled accidental.

The fire occurred last month at the prison in Michigan City. Joshua Devine of Indianapolis was serving a sentence for attempted robbery in Marion County.

The LaPorte County Herald-Argus reports (http://bit.ly/2pcvxjI ) that information released by prison Superintendent Ron Neal shows that the fire started in, on or around the TV in his cell. The newspaper says investigators found that an electrical problem may have caused the fire.

The official cause of death was listed as thermal burns. Reports from investigators say Devine "may have been altering electrical equipment in his cell."

Devine had been in prison for about 13 months.

___

Information from: The La Porte Herald-Argus, http://www.heraldargus.com