Firefighters say a woman has died after her Aiken home caught fire and rescuers couldn't save her because there were so many of her belongings inside.
AIKEN, S.C. (WACH, AP) -- Firefighters say a woman has died after her Aiken home caught fire and rescuers couldn't save her because there were so many of her belongings inside.
Authorities said every window and door in the home was blocked and firefighters had to cut holes in the house to battle the blaze early Friday morning.
Aiken County Coroner Tim Carlton identified the woman as 78-year-old Marlen Leich, who died from carbon monoxide poisoning due to smoke inhalation.
Carlton says the fire likely started in the kitchen. A neighbor apparently smelled moke in the nieghborhood as early as 10 p.m. Thursday before noticing Leich's house was on fire.
Officials say the woman's body was found about three hours after the fire was reported in the living room.
Authorities say they will have to go through the 4-foot tall pile of debris in all rooms of the home to determine the exact cause of the blaze.
Arson is not suspected.
(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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