A morning fire at 301 James Road in the Sun Valley section of Chestnuthill Township has left one man dead.

According to Lt. Tim Burlew of the West End Volunteer Fire Company, a call went out for a house fire with entrapment at 7:20 a.m. Tuesday. Burlew, who was in command of the scene, said that West End Community Ambulance was first to arrive, followed by West End fire company.

Other companies that responded included Polk Township Volunteer Fire Company, Tunkhannock Volunteer Fire Company and Penn Forest Volunteer Fire Company No. 2.

The Monroe County Coroner and the state police fire marshal were also called to the scene.

By 10 a.m. the coroner’s office had removed the remains of one victim from the residence.

“I am only able to presume it to be a 53-year-old male who resided at the residence,” said Thomas Yanac, Monroe County coroner. “Further testing is needed to ensure proper identification. Autopsy and further testing will be done tomorrow. Please keep in mind we cannot assume it was the homeowner.”

“The living area of the home and the basement were fully involved when we arrived,” Burlew said. “At that point we could only attack it from the exterior.”

Burlew said that at one point the upper floor collapsed onto the lower level.

“It appears to have started in the lower back left of the residence,” Burlew added. “But at this point we can’t be sure.”

The determination as to the cause of the fire is in the hands of the fire marshal.

The Sun Valley development has narrow roads, making it difficult for the companies to get the firetrucks close to the fire. Once on scene, some of the vehicles needed to be sent around the block to approach the property from a different angle.

The raised ranch home is located on the corner of Johns and James roads, which allowed access to attack the fire from the front and the side of the home.

Once the fire was extinguished, the firefighters laid down a layer of foam. Burlew said that the foam would help to keep the fire from re-igniting.

In addition to the foam, heavy, constant rain that continued to fall throughout the day also kept the fire from re-igniting.