STANNAARD — A fatal fire broke out in Stannard on Friday.
Authorities were notified of a structure fire at a single-family residence on Batchelder Road at around 8:50 a.m.
The structure was fully involved in fire when firefighters arrived.
Police say defensive firefighting actions were taken, and the fire was extinguished.
During the assessment of the scene, police say they learned an occupant was not accounted for and believed to be somewhere within the fire scene.
Police say they contacted the Department of Public Safety Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit and requested assistance in locating any victims within the structure and to determine the origin and cause of the fire event.
Members of the Department of Public Safety Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit responded to the fire scene and conducted a scene search.
A deceased subject was located in a bedroom area on the first floor.
The victim’s remains were sent to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Burlington where an autopsy will determine the manner and cause of death as well as verifying the victim’s identity.
The extensive amount of damage limited the investigators in their ability to determine the origin and cause of the fire event, however the fire does not appear to be the result of a criminal act.
Anyone with information is being asked to call the Vermont Arson Tip Award Program at 800-32-ARSON.
