(Conicville) – Shenandoah County fire officials are investigating what caused Tuesday morning’s fatal fire at a home near Conicville.

The call came in at around 7:15 am and when crews arrived at the home on Pepper Road, they found heavy smoke and fire showing from the first floor of the two-story farm house.

It took firefighters about an hour and a half to fully extinguish the blaze.

Deputy Fire Chief Bill Street explains one of the challenges was that there was not a hydrant nearby and tanker trucks had to be brought in to provide water to fight the fire.

Street added that another challenge was the lack of manpower that is staffed at the Conicville Fire Department.

Currently, Shenandoah County Fire and Rescue only provide staffing at Conicville from 6 pm until 6 am Wednesday through Sunday. The rest of the time, it is staffed with volunteers. It took 12 minutes before the first responders arrived on scene.  

Once the fire was contained, crews found a body on the first floor near where the fire started.

The victim’s name was not released.