Nova Scotia

56-year-old man found dead in Colchester County house fire

Police say a 56-year-old man was found dead inside a burning home in Masstown, N.S., Thursday morning.

RCMP say they do not suspect cause of fire is suspicious

Police say a 56-year-old man was found dead inside a burning home in Masstown, N.S., Thursday morning.

Members of the Colchester District RCMP responded to a house fire on Highway 2 just before 10 a.m. AT.

Clair Peers, a spokesperon for the Onslow Belmont Fire Brigade, said a passerby noticed the fire and called 911.

"Someone who was coming by saw the house was on fire and must have, for some reason or other, thought there was someone there. And there was," he said.

A man was found dead inside the home. Police said no one else was inside the residence at the time.

Peers said there was "obvious smoke" when the firefighters first arrived and the fire was confined to the interior of the home.

He said roughly 30 members from their department, as well as Great Village and Debert, responded to the call.

"It was extinguished fairly quickly, within a half an hour, 40 minutes," he said.

Fire not believed to be suspicious

RCMP said they are working with the provincial Office of the Fire Marshal to investigate the cause of the fire.

Peers said some of their senior officers and the investigation team are still on scene.

A news release said the fire is not believed to be suspicious.