On December 15, 2017, at 4:33 a.m., Newport Police and Fire Department’s responded to Bridgeview Condos, 66 Girard Avenue, unit #304 for a report of a working fire.

A 70-year-old male of that same address was found unresponsive inside the residence. He was transported to Newport Hospital where he was pronounced deceased at approximately 5:30 a.m. Newport Fire Department extinguished the fire and it was contained in unit #304.

Newport Police Detectives are working with the Rhode Island State Fire Marshall’s Office to determine the cause of the fire.

The incident remains under investigation and no further information is available at this time.

Ryan Belmore is the owner and publisher of What's Up Newp. He took over the publication in 2012 and has grown it into a three-time Rhode Island Monthly Best Local News Blog (2018, 2019, 2020). He was named LION Publishers Member of the Year in 2020 and received the Dominique Award from the Arts & Cultural Society of Newport County the same year. He has been awarded grants for investigative and community journalism, and continues to coach and mentor new local news publications nationwide. Ryan...