One dead in Strafford house fire, state police investigating

STRAFFORD — A fatal fire on Rogers Road claimed the life of an individual Thursday morning, according to the Vermont State Police.

The blaze was reported at 8:13 a.m. at a home where firefighters arrived to find the structure fully engulfed in flames.

Despite being informed of an occupant still inside the residence, efforts to rescue the individual were unsuccessful, and the victim’s body was later discovered by firefighters and fire investigators.

Authorities summoned the Department of Public Safety Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit to the scene to ascertain the fire’s origin and cause.

Preliminary findings suggest the fire was not of a suspicious nature.

The Vermont State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigations has taken charge of the death investigation, with plans to transport the victim’s body to the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington for an autopsy.

The examination is expected to reveal the cause and manner of death.

Currently, the identity of the deceased is withheld pending family notification.

Multiple fire departments, including Strafford, Tunbridge, Thetford, and Hanover (NH), alongside the First Branch Ambulance service, responded to the emergency.

The state police have stated the investigation is ongoing and will release further details as they become available.