Richford woman dies in house fire, incident is under investigation

RICHFORD — After a Richford house fire killed a woman, Vermont State Police are looking for more information.

First responders with the Richford Fire Department first arrived on the scene of the fire, located at 25 Union St. in Richford, at around 4:10 a.m. last Wednesday, March 8, to find the house fully engulfed in flame.

After extinguishing the fire and assessing the scene, Fire Chief Andy Pond reported that a woman resident couldn’t be found, and Richford Fire requested the help of VSP’s Department of Public Safety Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit to locate any potential victims, as well as determine the cause of the fire, with an expanded search.

The body of a woman was then found in the living room of the first floor. The remains have since been sent to the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington to determine the cause of death and to verify the victim’s identity.

Police are reporting that the fire does not appear to be the result of arson, although the extensive damage to the building limited investigators when determining the fire’s cause and origin.

People with information on the incident are being encouraged to contact the Vermont Arson Tip Award Program at 800-32-ARSON. The Arson Tip Award Program is separate from the state police and offers a reward of up to $5,000 for information that leads to an arrest.