A Byron resident died after an early morning fire swept through his home on Caswell Road.
A woman who also lived at the house survived and was transported by ambulance to UMMC after she was rescued by volunteer firefighters.
Their names have not yet been released by authorities.
The cause of the fire, reported at 2:06 a.m., has not been determined.
Chief Charles Durkee, Byron Fire Department, said when his assistant chief arrived on scene, he reported smoke showing.
Two fire trucks arrived quickly and while one crew worked to establish water lines, another crew went to the roof to try and cut a hole for ventilation.
"The roof was so icy, they couldn't even get off the ladder," Durkee said. "That plan was quickly abandoned."
As crews fought the blaze, firefighters entered the house and were able to locate the female resident and carry her to safety, but they could not locate the male resident.
He reportedly succombed to smoke inhalation and his body was found later in the kitchen area.
This fire was difficult to fight because the closest hydrants are a couple of miles away, and it was made harder when a power line fell.
"We started sending trucks around in a loop but then this wire behind me dropped," Durkee said. "It went right across the road. We had to abandon the aerial. We had to abandon all hand lines that were underneath it. We had to re-rig some hand lines so we could start fighting the fire and bringing the tankers in from one direction."
It took about 45 minutes to get the fire knocked down and an hour to get it under control, Durkee said.
Responding to the fire were Byron, South Byron, Elba, Barre, Bergen, Brockport, Stafford, Town of Batavia and City of Batavia, as well as medics from Mercy EMS and Le Roy Ambulance.
There are investigators on scene from the state's Fire Prevention Services and the county's Emergency Management Office.
The Sheriff's Office is assisting in the investigation.
UPDATE: The deceased is identified as Warren Leaton, 90.
UPDATE: Norine R. Leaton, 84, was rescued by volunteer firefighters when she was found in a breezeway, according to a Sheriff's Office release. The body of the deceased was inside the residence. The man's body has been taken to the Monroe County Medical Examiner's Office, the report says. The remains have not been positively identified, according to the release. The Batavian's news partner 13WHAM spoke with family members, and they said Warren Leaton passed in the fire.
