Woman dies after found unresponsive in Washington Township house fire; cause investigated

EDINBORO — Pennsylvania State Police investigators are continuing their search for the cause of a Friday evening fire in Washington Township that led to the death of a 73-year-old woman.

The woman, identified by the Erie County Coroner's Office as Mary Wray, was rushed to UPMC Hamot after firefighters found her unresponsive inside her burning house at 12380 Silverthorn Road, according to state police in Girard.

The fire was reported Friday at 7:28 p.m., when a passerby noticed smoke and flames coming from the house, according to state police and Erie County 911. The woman was pronounced dead in the emergency room of UPMC Hamot at 8:46 p.m. Friday, the Coroner's Office reported.

An autopsy will not be performed, but toxicology testing will be done, according to the Coroner's Office.

Investigators said there were no signs of foul play in the fire, which state police Troop E fire marshals and criminal investigation units are continuing to investigate.

Firefighters remained on the scene of the fire until 12:11 a.m. Saturday.

The fire caused damage to portions of the house, Edinboro Fire Chief Patrick Davis said Monday. He said the first crews arrived to find fire and smoke in the house, and that after learning of likely entrapment inside crews acted aggressively and efficiently in getting inside and removing Wray from the residence within minutes.

Davis credited the efforts of Edinboro and other responding fire crews in their efforts in fighting the fire and finding Wray, despite the outcome.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: State police probe cause of Washington Twp. fire where woman died