The death of a Schuylkill County man, whose body was found in the front yard of his home as it burned Friday morning, has been ruled a suicide.

Trooper Mark W. Knock, of the Schuylkill Haven barracks, said an autopsy performed Monday at the Lehigh Valley Hospital, Salisbury Township, determined that Gerald Everett Hale, 46, of 30 S. Shue String Lane, South Manheim Township, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest. Knock also stated in a press release that the cause of the fire of Hale's home is still undetermined.The autopsy revealed that Hale suffered the gunshot wound to the right side of his chest that pierced his heart from a handgun.Hale's body was found about 8:30 a.m. when fire companies responded to a fire at the residence. The house was fully engulfed in flames by the time firemen arrived.Reports state that Hale lived in the home with his wife, Catherine L. Covach-Hale, and two children. His wife and two children were not at home at the time of the fire.Hale was pronounced dead at the scene.Troopers continue to investigate the cause of the fire. The home was extensively damaged.