Updated at 5:57 p.m.
Firefighters battling a house fire on Cabot Road in Marshfield discovered a man’s body inside the home Monday afternoon, nearly three hours after firefighters were first called to the scene, according to a Vermont State Police press release.
Investigators said George “Will” Livendale, 90, who is believed to be the homeowner, was attempting to extinguish a fire that originated in a dryer when he was overcome by smoke. “The fire quickly spread into other areas of the structure causing extensive damage throughout the home,” according to a Tuesday evening press release.
The Marshfield Fire Department initially received a report of a structure fire at 11:40 a.m., after a passerby witnessed smoke coming from the home and tried unsuccessfully to find its occupants, police said.
When firefighters arrived, they found heavy smoke and flames coming from the center of the structure and requested mutual aid from nearby towns including Woodbury, Danville, Peacham, Hardwick and Cabot.
The state’s Department of Public Safety Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit was called to the scene after Woodbury Fire Chief Paul Cerutti notified state police that the homeowner had possibly been trapped in the home.
