Update: Tuesday 4:00pm
The Boone County Sheriff's Department has identified the victim, as the State Fire Marshall's office suspects a cause.
The victim is 60-year old Kathy Pruitt. She was alone when the fire broke out Monday morning, at 4720 Soft Pit Hill Road east of Hartsburg.
Deputy State Fire Marshall Bill Zieres tells KRCG, Pruitt was found on the couch in the living room, the same room where the fire originated.
Zieres says Pruitt had health problems and used oxygen, and was known to smoke. It could have been a deadly combination.
It's unknown if the home had smoke detectors. It was declared a total loss. Three dogs also perished in the blaze.
Original Story:
Boone County fire officials are investigating a fatal house fire Monday.
Officials said the fire started at about 10:30 a.m. Crews were still on the scene about four hours later.
The Southern Boone County Fire Protection District responded after a passerby called it in.
After extinguishing the flames, firefighters found a woman dead in the living room.
"It took approximately 10 minutes to have the fire knocked down,” Price Nichols with the fire district explained. “We made an interior attack and that's when we discovered a body in the house."
The fire damaged the front of the house and caused the roof to collapse. At this point, investigators don’t know what caused the fire or where it started.
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