Carla Occaso
Emergency responders found a deceased 38-year-old Northfield man on Friday, Oct. 24, just after dousing the fire consuming his home. The Northfield Fire Department responded to a report of a fire around 5 a.m. to 346 Water Street. Upon arrival, the department found a camper trailer and a nearby home fully engulfed in flames. Firefighters were able to extinguish the flames, but then found a body in the camper trailer.
The Northfield Fire Department and the Northfield Police Department sought help from the Vermont State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigations and the Department of Public Safety Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit.
Soon after arriving, state police investigators helped remove the body, which was sent to the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington for identification and autopsy. The victim was then identified as Robert Edson, who lived in the camper trailer. Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit investigators determined the fire began inside the camper trailer and is not believed to be suggestive of foul play.
Anyone with information about the fire is asked to contact Detective Sgt. Christopher Blais at the Royalton Barracks, 802-234-9933, or Detective Trooper Christopher Finley at the St. Albans Barracks, 802-524-5993. Individuals also can contact the Vermont Arson Tip Award Program (VATAP) hotline at 1-800-32-ARSON (1-800-322-7766).
The Vermont Department of Public Safety would like to remind all Vermont residents to test their home smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and be sure they are installed per manufacturer recommendations. For more information, please visit https://firesafety.vermont.gov.
