Belleville Fire and Rescue along with police and Hastings Quinte Paramedics responded to a fatal house fire that began early Saturday morning.
Firefighters were called to the scene at close to 4:45 a.m. after a home caught fire near the intersection of Herchimer and Victoria Ave.
One person has been declared deceased, but all other occupants of the building were able to evacuate safely.
The fire began in the basement and firefighters worked quickly to battle the fire. Smoke and water damage is spread throughout the structure, with fire damage contained to the basement level.
Firefighters are still onsite, and will remain on site all day. Extra firefighters have been called in to maintain coverage over the rest of Belleville in case of other fires. The cause of the fire is still under investigation by Belleville Fire and the Ontario Fire Marshal, but has not been deemed suspicious.
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Firefighters remain on scene after a fire ripped through a home on Herchimer Avenue. Photo: John Spitters, Quinte News