By Evan Johnson
Poultney—A Poultney man was the only victim of a fire that occurred on the evening of Jan. 8 in Poultney.
At 2:49 p.m., the Poultney Fire Department received a report of a building on fire on Hampshire Hollow Road with a unresponsive man lying outside. The Poultney Fire Department, Rutland County Sheriff’s Department responded to the scene and found the structure completely involved. The male was identified as Thomas Beaty, age 76, and was found to be deceased. Mutual aid was requested and fire departments from , Middletown Springs, Wells, Fair Haven, Vt. and , Hampton, Middle Granville, and Whitehall, N.Y., all responded.
The Vermont State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Vermont State Police Arson Unit, Vermont Department of Fire Safety and the Medical Examiner’s Office were contacted to investigate the death of Beatty and the structure fire. The death and fire does not appear to be suspicious at this time. However, the investigation is currently ongoing.