Woman, 60, dies after being pulled from Philadelphia house fire: officials

Woman, 60, dies after being pulled from Ogontz Avenue house fire: officials

Firefighters say a 60-year-old woman is dead after she was pulled from a house fire on the 6200 block of Ogontz Avenue early Thursday morning.

PHILADELPHIA - Firefighters say a 60-year-old woman is dead after she was pulled from a house fire in Philadelphia early Thursday morning.

What we know:

Firefighters were called to a property on the 6200 block of Ogontz Avenue around 5 a.m. for reports of a fire. 

Officials say a 60-year-old woman was found in the burning home and was pronounced dead at the scene.

The fire was placed under control shortly after firefighters responded.

The fire also caused damage to a neighboring rowhome, with rooms torn out and significant smoke damage, said Jerry Rice, a next-door neighbor.

What they're saying:

"She was a nice close friend of mine, she was a very nice, polite person always helping her people," said Lisa Timmons, a friend of the victim. 

"Yeah I’m so sad to hear about this." Hakim Kelley, who lives nearby, described Ms. Joanne as a "beautiful young lady, always taking care of her garden, always sweeping up."

 Jerry Rice shared his personal connection to the tragedy, saying, "I lost four sons to a fire so I’m trying not to think about it." 

What we don't know:

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.