JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — An elderly woman is dead after a house Saturday morning on Jacksonville's Northside.
According to the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department, firefighters received a call about a house fire in the 6900 block of West Virginia Avenue at about 7:37 a.m., when a passerby noticed smoke coming from the home.
Upon arrival, firefighters forced their way into the front of the home, where they saw a fire in the front room.
During their search, firefighters found an elderly woman downstairs in the hallway of the home, JFRD said. Firefighters pulled her out of the home at about 7:53 a.m.
First responders took the woman to the hospital in critical condition. She was suffering from smoke inhalation and burns, according to JFRD. She was later pronounced dead.
Family members told First Coast News the woman is Dolly Rhodes, a retired bus driver who lived alone. She had lived at the home for more than 60 years.
Hours before the fire, Rhodes had called her family after a power outage in the neighborhood. Other neighbors living close by told First Coast News power went out sometime after midnight.
While the cause of the fire is unknown, the family thinks the power outage could have played a role.
The cause of the fire is under investigation. JFRD has requested the state fire marshal to assist in the investigation.