Fire officials say clutter may have stopped them from saving the life of a 90-year-old Ossining man.

The fire began around 11:30 p.m. on Thursday in the man?s house on Upper Croton Avenue. Fire officials say the fire began in the first-floor kitchen and was under control quickly, but the rescue of the man on the second floor posed the bigger challenge. Garbage and clutter blocked hallways and caused excess smoke, which delayed their rescue time significantly.

Emergency responders performed CPR on the man, but he later died at the hospital. Smoke inhalation appears to be the cause of death. The exact cause of the fire is still being investigated.