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Man Found Dead After Fire Tears Through Belmont Home

BELMONT (CBS) - A man was found dead after a fire in a home in Belmont early Monday morning.

Firefighters were called to a three-story home on Trapelo Road just before 4 a.m. When they arrived there were flames on the second and third floors.

belmont fire
Flames shot through the roof of the home on Trapelo Road early Monday. (WBZ-TV)

"It appears the fire had a pretty decent head start before we got here," Belmont Fire Chief David Frizzell told reporters.

"The fire went from the first floor, it appears, right up to the second floor and the third floor attic."

A neighbor told WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Ben Parker that he spotted smoke just before 4 a.m., and notified people on the first floor about the fire--but didn't know anyone was upstairs.

"I couldn't get a straight answer out of anyone on the first floor," that neighbor said. "I was going to go up, but the smoke was just too heavy, I just couldn't do it."

Neighbor Laurie Nicolas told WBZ-TV's Nicole Jacobs she spotted the first flames from her bedroom window.

"It got pretty bad very quickly," Nicolas said. "And just moments after, the flames just got out of control, and it spread throughout the house."

belmont fire trapelo road
The scene of the fatal Trapelo Road fire Monday morning. (WBZ-TV)

At first, it appeared that everyone inside escaped safely.

But Frizzell later said a man was found dead in a third floor attic unit that had been converted into a living space.

"Initial reports by the occupants were that everybody made it out of the house," said Chief Frizzell. "We've later discovered that there is one male victim up on the third floor attic, who has succumbed as a result of the fire."

belmont fire
A man was found dead on the third floor of this home Monday. (WBZ-TV)

The man's name has not yet been made public.

Frizzell said no firefighters were injured responding to the blaze.

There's no word yet on how or where the fire started, but the State Fire Marshal's office is investigating.

Trapelo Road was initially closed between Mill and Pleasant streets, but police said it was now open, with traffic moving very slowly.

WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Ben Parker reports

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