SWANTON — A fatal fire engulfed a home on Lakewood Drive Wednesday afternoon, leading to the death of a 78-year-old woman, according to Vermont State Police.
Authorities were alerted to the blaze just after 1 p.m., when homeowner Normand Lussier, 81, reported the fire and noted his girlfriend Constance Hall was missing.
Responding fire departments from Swanton, Highgate, and St. Albans, as well as Missisquoi Rescue and other first responders, could not save the structure, which later collapsed.
Swanton Fire Chief Daniel Chevalier, overseeing the response efforts, later requested assistance from the Vermont Department of Public Safety Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit.
They joined detectives, VSP’s Victim Services Unit, the Franklin County State’s Attorney’s Office, and a death investigator from the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office to investigate the incident.
Investigators processing the scene the following morning discovered a body in the remains of the residence, believed to be Hall, along with her dog, Rosie.
The remains were transported to the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington for an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death.
Preliminary findings suggest no foul play.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but officials have found no evidence of direct human involvement.
Further details will be provided as the investigation continues.
