Elderly woman presumed dead in northern Arizona after reporting her house on fire

PHOENIX — An elderly woman was believed to have been found dead in her northern Arizona home after she had reported that it caught fire on Saturday, authorities said.

Deputies and other agencies responded to a home on Saturday after a 79-year-old woman called 911 to report that her house was on fire, according to the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office.

When YCSO arrived to the scene, the house was fully engulfed in flames.

“Fire personnel were not initially able to contain the fire and it jumped the road and continued to spread,” YCSO said in a social media post.

The home eventually burned to the ground, but the fire was contained.

Here’s how fire personnel reached the presumed homeowner

When fire personnel entered the home, an unidentified body was found in the rubble, YCSO said. The body was presumed to be the homeowner.

Evidence collected at the scene indicated that the fire started in a shed on the side of the residence, which spread to vegetation and then the home.

“It appeared the shed had many butane, paint and other containers consistent with flammable materials and fuels,” YCSO said.

The woman, whose name has not yet been released, was known to have mobility issues.

“The 911 recordings indicate she was alone with her dog, and statements she made are consistent with the fire having started and then spread to the house,” YCSO said.

Authorities were working to officially identify the remains.

Preliminary information suggested there was no foul play.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

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