RUMFORD (AP) — Authorities say a 47-year-old man is dead following a house fire in Rumford.
The state fire marshal’s office says cigarettes likely caused the fire, which started in the living room of the ranch-style home on Tuesday afternoon.
The victim has been identified as Dale Pellerin. Authorities say his body was found in the house’s bathroom.
Investigators say a neighbor discovered the fire after smelling smoke and calling 911.
Pellerin lived at the house with his father, who wasn’t home at the time.
The fire marshal’s office says a Rumford police officer who attempted to enter the house was overcome by the intense smoke and heat. He was treated and released from a hospital.
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