House fire victim stayed inside to retrieve items

The man, a house guest, was found dead on the first floor of 719 Old Post Road in the town of Esopus.

ESOPUS, N.Y. » The man who died in a late-night house fire here remained inside the structure to retrieve items after a smoke alarm went off, according to the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office.

The man, described as a house guest who had been staying in the basement, was found dead on the first floor of the structure during the firefighting effort, the Sheriff’s Office said.

His name had not been provided as of Wednesday afternoon.

The fire, at 719 Old Post Road in Esopus, was reported about 2:30 a.m. Tuesday. The Sheriff’s Office said the homeowner and another guest, whose names also were not provided, got out safely and that both were evaluated at the scene by emergency medical responders.

They homeowner reported being awakened by a smoke alarm and seeing the fire, and told emergency responders about one person still being inside, the Sheriff’s Office said.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Nine fire companies responded to the blaze, as did four ambulance companies, two police agencies and fire investigators.