LEYDEN — A woman died in a fire that destroyed a home at 178 Frizzell Hill Road Monday afternoon.
The woman, whose identity has not yet been released, lived at the house. She was found deceased around 6 p.m. Monday, according to Police Chief Dan Galvins. As of around 7 p.m., Galvins said that both the medical examiner and the woman’s husband were en route to the scene.
Leyden emergency personnel received reports of a fire with heavy black smoke in the area of the home before 2 p.m. The house is “totally gone,” Galvis said at the scene.
Fire departments responding to the hilltop home were from Leyden, Bernardston, Northfield, Colrain, Turners Falls, Shelburne Falls and, from Vermont, the Brattleboro and Guilford departments.
Neighbors said the couple had lived in the home about three years. Fire tankers brought water to the home, which has a long, steep and narrow driveway. Only fire and police personnel were given access to the fire scene Monday afternoon and evening.
Fire personnel were still putting out hot spots in the fields around the home around 6:15 p.m., according to Sgt. Tina Riddell, who was directing traffic. The road opened to one lane access around 5:45 p.m and remained one lane after 7 p.m.