TAYLORSVILLE — One woman died Saturday after fire engulfed her Taylorsville home.
One woman who lives at 2157 W. Cedar Breaks Drive was able to get out and call for help at about 9 a.m., and she reported that another woman, in her 60s, was still inside the home.
Fire crews arrived within four minutes of being called and smoke and flames were coming from the house, said Unified fire spokesman Patrick Costin. Crews tried to rescue the woman inside, but it was too late.
Costin said there was heavy damage to at least one bedroom.
“Any time you see a fatal house fire, even if it’s just injuries, it’s definitely tough to see. You’re always talking about tactics and how you can improve things for the next time,” Costin said.
The cause of the fire remains unknown. Costin said because of the fire damage, it could take some time to determine how it started.
Officials have not yet released the name of the woman who died. A neighbor described her as “very friendly.”
“It’s just sad,” Marjorie McEntire said, adding that the women have chickens in the backyard and shared with her “the most gorgeous eggs I have ever seen” about a week ago.
She said the two women were kind neighbors.
“We’ll miss her,” McEntire said. “I’m not sure how many years she’s been here, but long enough that we’ve forgotten the number. But we’ll miss her and it’s really too bad.”
Contributing: Alex Cabrero