STATE OF VERMONT
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY
VERMONT STATE POLICE
CASE#: 25A4011289
TROOPERS: Detective Sgt. Christopher Blais, Detective Sgt. David Hurwitch, Detective Sgt. James Wright, Detective Sgt. Lyle Decker
STATION: Vermont Department of Public Safety Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit / St. Johnsbury Barracks
CONTACT#: 802-748-3111
DATE/TIME: About 5:15 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025
LOCATION: 1100 Whitelaw Rd., Ryegate, VT
INCIDENT: Fatal fire investigation
VICTIM: Tracy Shirley
AGE: 75
CITY, STATE OF RESIDENCE: Ryegate, Vermont
SUMMARY OF INCIDENT:
Investigators from the Vermont Department of Public Safety Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit have determined that a fire earlier this month that killed a homeowner in Ryegate was accidental.
Although the exact cause of the Dec. 18 fire is undetermined, the investigation has identified the most likely origin as either discarded smoking materials or space heaters placed in close proximity to combustibles.
The victim is identified as Tracy Shirley, 75, who lived in the home at 1100 Whitelaw Rd. where the fire was reported in the late afternoon. The Ryegate Fire Department responded to the scene following reports from neighbors about a fire at the home. Firefighters subsequently requested assistance from FEIU in investigating the origin and cause of the fire. The blaze is classified officially as undetermined cause, non-suspicious.
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