POLK COUNTY, Fla. – The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death of a woman found inside a mobile home that caught fire Sunday morning in Lakeland.
Polk County Fire Rescue responded around 10:07 a.m. to Scenic View Street, where units arrived to see a single-wide mobile home fully involved in flames, a news release states.
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Firefighters worked quickly to knock down the blaze and make entry to the home, wherein an individual who they found was pronounced dead in the master bedroom, officials said.
Deputies said that neighbors tried to reach the resident, an elderly woman, but were unable to get inside the home.
Notification of next of kin is pending, the release states.
“Scenes like this are always tough for all involved — especially when entrapment is suspected. Our first arriving crews encountered heavy fire conditions, our crew gained access to the structure and made a valiant effort to locate any entrapped occupants. Our crews located a victim who succumbed to their injuries,” fire Chief Shawn Smith said in a statement. “All Polk County Fire Rescue members send our condolences to the family and friends of the individual at this difficult time.”
The State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause of the fire, which preliminarily appears to be linked to the improper disposal of cigarettes. The sheriff’s office is conducting the death investigation, with an autopsy scheduled to take place during normal business hours in the coming week.
No injuries to firefighters were reported.