Electric blanket may have sparked fire that killed 96-year-old woman

(FOX NEWS) - A Missouri woman's efforts to stay warm during the deep freeze that enveloped much of the nation last week may have led to her death, according to officials.

Fire officials told FOX 4 Kansas City that Lucille West, 96, died Friday at a local hospital after she was found unconscious during a fire at her home in Lone Jack, Mo.

Lone Jack Fire Chief David Kelsey said West lived directly across the street from the fire department, but the flames and smoke were so intense she did not survive the blaze. He believes her electric blanket started the deadly fire.

"She had limited sources of heat within her house," Kelsey told FOX 4. "She was using a natural gas space heater and some other electric heaters and a few electric blankets to keep warm at night."

The fire chief also confirmed the woman had no smoke detectors in her home.

A neighbor who spoke to FOX 4 says he uses similar items to stay warm in the winter.

"It is very difficult, especially if you have electric heat," John Cimino said. "I've lived with gas heat my whole life, and electric heat is completely different. It doesn't keep you [nearly] as warm."

Kelsey cited the woman's death as a big loss in the tight-knit community.

"Just seeing her on a day-to-day basis as I go in and out between the office and home -- when the weather's decent, she's almost always outside, and we`ll exchange, if nothing else, a wave as I pass by," Kelsey said. "She will be missed."