The cause of a deadly fire in Williamsport appears to be accidental.
Investigators said there was some sort of wiring problem with the home that caught fire early Thursday morning.
What is still not known, however, is why a woman could not get out of the burning home alive.
Investigators said Linda Mayer, 58, tried to escape the flames early this morning but never made it.
Those same investigators said Mayer's home didn't have any smoke alarms and those devices could have saved her life.
Flames tore through the home along Germania Street in Williamsport as firefighters tried to get the upper hand.
"Most of the firefighting was done from the outside of the house. It was too large of a fire inside the house to make entry," said Deputy Fire Chief David Dymeck.
When firefighters arrived on scene they said there were live power lines down in front of the burning home, making it difficult to get into position.
"They were spread out across the street, which is a narrow street, which hampered movement around the structure to move hose lines so we could effectively hit the fire," Dymeck added.
Investigators said Mayer never made it out. Her body was removed more than five hours after the fire started, once firefighters made sure the burned-out home was safe to enter.
"Very intense flames. I'm afraid that when we saw it if anyone was in there it was not a good situation," said neighbor Jeff Raisch. He and his wife have known Mayer for years and said she was a good friend who will be missed.
"We were hoping for the best, that she wasn't around when it happened but unfortunately she was there," Raisch added.
Investigators said Mayer's home did not have smoke alarms. According to fire officials without those devices and the fact that the home's shingles were highly flammable, Mayer's attempts to escape were very difficult.
"This is a perfect example of why there should be smoke detectors in the house," Dymeck said.
Investigators said there was some sort of wiring problem with the home that caught fire early Thursday morning.
What is still not known, however, is why a woman could not get out of the burning home alive.
Investigators said Linda Mayer, 58, tried to escape the flames early this morning but never made it.
Those same investigators said Mayer's home didn't have any smoke alarms and those devices could have saved her life.
Flames tore through the home along Germania Street in Williamsport as firefighters tried to get the upper hand.
"Most of the firefighting was done from the outside of the house. It was too large of a fire inside the house to make entry," said Deputy Fire Chief David Dymeck.
When firefighters arrived on scene they said there were live power lines down in front of the burning home, making it difficult to get into position.
"They were spread out across the street, which is a narrow street, which hampered movement around the structure to move hose lines so we could effectively hit the fire," Dymeck added.
Investigators said Mayer never made it out. Her body was removed more than five hours after the fire started, once firefighters made sure the burned-out home was safe to enter.
"Very intense flames. I'm afraid that when we saw it if anyone was in there it was not a good situation," said neighbor Jeff Raisch. He and his wife have known Mayer for years and said she was a good friend who will be missed.
"We were hoping for the best, that she wasn't around when it happened but unfortunately she was there," Raisch added.
Investigators said Mayer's home did not have smoke alarms. According to fire officials without those devices and the fact that the home's shingles were highly flammable, Mayer's attempts to escape were very difficult.
"This is a perfect example of why there should be smoke detectors in the house," Dymeck said.
