An elderly man was killed in a fire at his rural Weld County home Thursday afternoon, said Dale Lyman, spokesman for the Union Colony Fire Rescue Authority.
Herman Hoff, who was in his 80s, was found inside the home, about 4 miles east of Greeley on Colorado 263, after the fire was brought under control, Lyman said.
Firefighters were dispatched at 1:37 p.m., and they could see thick, black smoke from the eastern edge of Greeley.
There was heavy smoke and fire in the residence when firefighters arrived, and they called the Kersey Fire Department for water- tanker support because there were no hydrants in the area.
Hoff was found during a secondary search of the farmhouse.
Firefighters attempted to revive him, but based on the response they were getting, an emergency-room doctor on the telephone advised them to cease life-saving efforts, Lyman said.
A preliminary investigation indicates the fire started on an exterior wall and probably was accidental.
