75-year-old man dies in Granville house fire

A 75-year-old man died in a fire that occurred in Granville on Monday.

State police responded to a home on County Route 21 at 8:15 p.m. Officers found the building engulfed in flames.

The homeowner, Gene W. Bassett, was found dead inside the home after firefighters extinguished the fire.

Washington County Fire Coordinator Glenn Bristol said the fire apparently started in front of the single-story home. Firefighters had it under control in about 20 minutes.

The cause of the incident is still under investigation, but Bristol said it was most likely an accident.

The victim was the only occupant. An autopsy is ongoing.

Fire departments from Middle Granville, North Granville, Hampton and Hartford in New York and Poultney, West Pawlet and Wells in Vermont responded to the scene.

Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Washington County detectives and the Granville Fire Department responded to the scene.