Oxford apartment fire kills 63-year-old woman

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An Oxford neighborhood is in mourning after a 63-year-old woman was killed in an early morning fire.

One man tried to rush in and save her before firefighters arrived, but the flames were too strong.

The victim's son-in-law was in shock as he stared into the window of a first floor apartment...

The screen was torn off in an attempt to rescue the resident, who was inside at the time and died.

"The door was open we found her just inside the door lying on the ground and we managed to drag her out," said Oxford Fire Chief Peter Scholz.

An Oxford firefighter who was one of the first responders at the apartment fire on Crawford Street said despite their best efforts to revive her, the smoke was too much.

"The apartment buildings is a three storey building with 24 units," said Scholz. "And it was full of smoke from all three floors."

Investigators say early indications point to the oven or stove as the cause.

"We're not sure if she fell asleep while cooking or electrical malfunction," Scholz said. "We can't say for sure."

A smoke alarm just outside the apartment door helped everyone else get out safely. Once firefighters were at the scene, they say the hoses weren't needed.

"No flames (were) visible anywhere," the chief said. "It was all centered on the stove and the cupboard area. A water line had melted off underneath the kitchen sink which helped extinguish the sink by the stove."

The fire remains under investigation and everyone was allowed to return to their apartment.

The neighbor who lives across the hall from the woman said he smelled the smoke and tried to rescue her. He tried breaking down the door, but after seeing the black smoke said there was nothing he could do to save her.