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Fire At Hempfield Township Home Leaves 1 Dead

HEMPFIELD TOWNSHIP (KDKA) – A woman has died following a fire at her Hempfield Township home.

The fire started Sunday morning at the home on Corbett Avenue.

The woman has been identified as 77-year-old Betty Houston.

Neighbor Terry Hunter says he usually picks up her newspaper and takes it inside for her. He said he was picking up her paper this morning when he smelled smoke coming from the house and called 911.

"When I opened the screen door to put the paper in, like I do every morning, I could really smell smoke then," he said. "I went around the back of the house and saw smoke coming out of the kitchen window, flames coming out of the basement."

Firefighters found her in the house unresponsive. Houston was taken to the hospital where she later died.

"When I got here, we found a little bit of smoke coming out of the front, the neighbor stated the homeowner may still be inside the house," said Adamsburg Volunteer Fire Chief Don Thomas.

Officials say they believe the fire started in the basement and spread to the first floor.

The cause is still being investigated.

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