DELTONA, Fla — A woman believed to be in her 80s was found dead Christmas night after her home caught fire, the Volusia Sheriff's Office said.
Deputies and firefighters responded to a call shortly after 9 p.m. about a house on fire on Gregory Drive, the sheriff's office wrote on its Facebook page.
Neighbors told Orlando's Fox 35 that the woman hoarded belongings and city authorities were sent to the home multiple times to try to clear some of the clutter as recently as a few months ago.
The news station reported the night of the fire, the woman had been going around asking nearby neighbors for an extension cord to use with her space heater.
Orlando's WESH reported firefighters said the flames were more intense and hard to fight because of "all the stuff that packed the home."
The news station said when fire crews arrived at the scene, the fire was already widespread, making it difficult to go inside.
When fire crews were able to get inside the home, the woman's body was found near the front door, WESH said. Neighbors told the news station that she lived in the home alone for many years.
The women's identity was not released and the official cause of the fire is under investigation.
