Man found dead in West Englewood house fire

A man was found dead in a house fire Saturday morning in the West Englewood neighborhood on the South Side.

Firefighters responded to the blaze about 9:10 a.m. at the two-story home in the 6600 block of South Racine, Fire Media Affairs spokesman Larry Langford said.

A man, thought to be in his mid-40s, was “found in the center of the building, under a mattress,” having suffered severe burns, Langford said.

The unidentified man was pronounced dead at the scene at 10:21 a.m., according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. An autopsy was scheduled for Sunday.

Langford said the building was technically vacant, and that the man may have been squatting.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.