Woman killed in Muskegon house fire

MUSKEGON, Mich. (WOOD) — A woman has died after a house fire Thursday morning in Muskegon.

The fire started before 7 a.m. on South Getty Street near East Laketon Avenue. The Muskegon Fire Department confirmed a 69-year-old died in the fire. The department did not release her name.

The home is a total loss, fire officials confirmed.

Emergency responders were on the scene for four hours until just before noon. Crews then boarded up windows and blocked any views of the damage inside.

Muskegon Fire and Police both declined interview requests. The Muskegon Firefighters Union wrote on Facebook that crews found a basement fire with hoarding conditions in the home.

News 8 spoke with a neighbor who was granted anonymity because of recent violence in the neighborhood and fears of retribution. They said police are in the area all the time.

“Lots of crime and stuff that needs to be cleaned up,” the neighbor said. “Innocent people getting hurt.”

The neighbor said after the fire broke out they saw a man, whom the neighbor believes to be a family member of the victim, extremely upset.

“He was crying and all upset and everything,” the neighbor said. “He learned his mother was in there. They let him know she had passed. Somebody came and got him, they must have been steady working on the fire on the inside.”

While flames weren’t visible from the outside, the neighbor saw smoke repeatedly coming out of the front part of the house for hours.

“It seemed like when they thought it was out, you could see more smoke coming out later,” the neighbor said. “The smoke would stop again and then more smoke would come out like it was re-lighting or something.”

The victim has not yet been identified. The neighbor sends their condolences to the family, saying this is a tragedy.

“It was just horrifying knowing for sure she had passed in there,” the neighbor said. “Fire, it’s very horrifying.”

Investigators are still working to determine the cause of the fire. Five neighboring departments assisted in the firefight.

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