North Carolina

Candle sparks house fire that kills 69-year-old woman trapped inside, NC officials say

A candle sparked a house fire that officials say killed a 69-year-old woman Sunday in North Carolina, media outlets report.

Winston-Salem firefighters received a call around 4 p.m. about someone who was trapped inside a burning home, WXII reported.

Firefighters entered through the front door and found Judy Snyder in the main hallway, WFMY reports.

Rescuers got her out of the house and tried to save her, but she died at the scene from smoke inhalation, officials told the Winston-Salem Journal.

Officials later determined the blaze was caused by a candle that was too close to “combustibles” in the living room of the home, WXII reports.

The fire caused about $62,000 in damage, according to the Winston-Salem Journal.

This story was originally published February 11, 2020 at 1:28 PM with the headline "Candle sparks house fire that kills 69-year-old woman trapped inside, NC officials say."

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Bailey Aldridge
The News & Observer
Bailey Aldridge is a reporter covering real-time news in North and South Carolina. She has a degree in journalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
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