Woman dies after house catches fire

HOUSTON – A woman died after she was pulled from a fire at her east Houston home.

Houston firefighters battled flames at a home on Orleans near Uvalde Road about 10:45 a.m. Monday.

A woman, believed to be in her 70s, was rushed to a hospital and later died. Her name has not been released.

Neighbors said the woman lived alone.

"She was a very nice person," neighbor Ida Gonzalez said. "I used to pick her up and take her to McDonald's and drink coffee with her."

"She liked birds, flowers and her cats," neighbor Charlie Van Ness said. "She had two cats that stayed inside. What's going to become of her cats?"

Houston City Council member Mike Sullivan stopped by the home after the fire. He said he goes out to the scene of any fatal fire in the district he represents to speak with relatives, neighbors and firefighters.

Sullivan said he understands the heartbreak felt by the victim's family and friends. His great-grandmother lived alone and died in a house fire.

"When I hear about those things and see them, it brings back that memory," Sullivan said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

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