MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – A 51-year-old woman has died after a fire erupted at a home Monday morning in southwest Miami-Dade, authorities said.
The fire was reported shortly after 9 a.m. at the home in the 9300 block of Southwest 46th Terrace.
Neighbors told Local 10 News reporter Neki Mohan that a man in his 70s lives at the home with his special needs sister, Marta Cecelia. They said they heard what sounded like an explosion before seeing flames coming from the home.
Sky 10 was above the scene as two people were transported to a hospital.
Relatives later confirmed that Cecelia did not survive the fire.
Miami-Dade police spokesman Lee Cowart said homicide detectives and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue investigators responded to the scene to determine what happened.
Investigators believe the fire started in a bedroom closet, and authorities said there was a space heater being used in the bedroom as well.
Firefighters had to tear off shutters to make sure no one else was in the home.
Neighbors said the family has lived at the home for years. Their mother died just before Christmas, they said.