76°
CORTLANDT, N.Y. - A 59-year-old man was found dead just before 8 a.m. this morning in a fully engulfed house fire on Sprout Brook Road, officials said.
The sole occupant of 215 Sprout Brook Road was not identified as of noon Friday. New York State Police say they're having trouble finding his next of kin to notify them of his death.
The man rented the house at 215 Sprout Brook Road for about the last 10 years, according to a neighbor's account to police.
Sgt. James Kranik of the state police described the morning fire as "a fully engulfed house fire," and said most of the home was destroyed.
Chris Rimm, chief of the Continental Village Fire Department, said his department received a call about the blaze at about 6:50 a.m. By the time firefighters arrived, the fire had spread from the first floor to the second, he said.
The fire was under control by 7:30 a.m. with the help of about 75 firefighters from several area departments, Rimm said.
The accidental fire started in a downstairs bedroom and the dead man was found in a downstairs hallway, Rimm said.
"This is the first fatal fire we've had in probably 15 years," he said.
The Westchester County Cause and Origin team was on the scene with police investigating the cause of the fire.
Comments