A man died in a house fire in Bradford on Thursday evening, hours after police responded to the home because a person inside was experiencing a mental health crisis, according to a statement from the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

Bradford police responded to 21 West Main St. at 12:43 p.m. on Thursday for a report of a “person in crisis,” according to the press release. They encountered a man with a knife and attempted to de-escalate the situation but were not successful, they said.

At approximately 5:30 p.m., fire and smoke began to emanate from the house. After several hours of battling the flames, firefighters extinguished the fire and found the man dead.

Fire crews from Bradford, Bow Hillsboro, Hopkinton, Warner, Washington, Henniker, New London, Newbury, and Sutton responded to the scene.

The state fire marshal has not released information on what caused the fire or on the identity of the man who died.

The three-bedroom cape style home was purchased by Michael and Teresa Bryant in 2022, according to town property records.