Elderly woman dies in Opa-locka house fire that likely began in the kitchen

A woman in her mid-80s died Thursday after her Opa-locka home erupted in flames, Opa-locka spokesman David Chiverton said.

Chiverton said a 911 call came in from someone who saw smoke pouring from the home at 2060 York St. just after 8 a.m.

When rescuers arrived, “the house was fully engulfed,” Chiverton said. “They were unable to enter the dwelling right away.”

The bedridden woman’s adult son, who was next door at the time, told officials his mother was inside. When they were able to reach her it was too late, Chiverton said.

A woman who identified herself as Angela told Miami Herald news partner CBS4 that she was visiting with Thelma Williams just before the fire.

“A pillar of the community, you know,” she said. “Everybody around here knew her. She raised all of us.”

Police are looking into the cause, but Chiverton said it appears the fire started in the kitchen.

This story was originally published January 29, 2015 at 12:03 PM with the headline "Elderly woman dies in Opa-locka house fire that likely began in the kitchen."