Nov. 16--One woman was killed and another is suffering from severe burns after an early morning house fire in the Azalea Park neighborhood that may started after an explosion.
The woman who died was 59 and disabled from a recent stroke.
An aunt, age unknown, was visiting at the time of the fire and was also injured, according to Debora Miller. She owns the rental home in the 5700 block of Dogwood Drive, just feet from Semoran Boulevard and State Road 408.
A dog was killed.
One firefighter was treated for injuries but was not hospitalized.
The adult daughter of the 59-year-old victim was not home when the fire broke out just before 6 a.m. She was taking her 14-year-old daughter to school.
They have been renting the home since June, Miller said.
She said a neighbor called her and said there were flames coming from the back of the house. Miller said the back of the house is gone.
Orange County Fire Rescue Battalion Five Chief Laura Leigh Avery said she heard reports about the explosion but could not confirm them. However, she noted that there were several containers of pressurized oxygen found in the back of the home that may have ruptured.
She said authorities were first alerted to the fire from a witness on a cellphone at 5:50 a.m. The first units arrived six minutes later.
"Firefighters worked in teams to simultaneously extinguish the fire and search the home for trapped occupants," Fire Rescue said in a statement.
One woman was found near the front window. The other was in the hallway. Rescuers performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the women before they were taken to the hospital, Avery said.
The cause of the fire is not known.
The state fire marshal is inspecting the house and interviewing witnesses.
No other details were available. Check back for updates.
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