Woman killed in Warren house fire

Mayor: Incident was accidental death caused by smoking

WARREN, Mich. – A woman is dead after a fire Saturday in Warren.

The mayor of Warren confirmed Saturday the incident was an accidental death caused by smoking. The woman had stacks of papers throughout the house, which caught fire from a lit cigarette.

Neighbors said the woman was 60 years old and worked as a nurse. She'd lived at Twelve Mile Road and Van Dyke Avenue for most of her life.

Warren firefighters were called to the home around 2:30 p.m. Saturday.

Fire officials told Local 4 News the bars on the windows and an apparent hoarding situation made it difficult for crews to get inside.

Neighbors tried rescuing the woman before firefighters arrive at the home, but were unable to get inside. The woman was found in the kitchen.

Neighbors said the woman kept to herself. She has a brother and sister they haven't seen for a while. Police detectives are in the process of notifying her family.

Crews were boarding up the home Saturday.


About the Author:

Priya joined WDIV-Local 4 in 2013 as a reporter and fill-in anchor. Education: B.A. in Communications/Post Grad in Advanced Journalism