UPDATED: 2:43 p.m., Tuesday:
The woman killed in the fire has been identified as Mary Miller, 75, of Bristol Borough, according to Bucks County Coroner Patti Campi.
Miller’s cause of death remains pending, the coroner stated.
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Original Story:
The search for the cause of a fire that killed a wheelchair-bound person continued Tuesday morning in Bristol Borough.
The three-alarm blaze tore through two homes and damaged several others in the 300 block of Dorrance Street.
Firefighters were dispatched for multiple reports of a dwelling fire with entrapment at approximately 6:11 p.m.
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As firefighters pulled up to the scene, crews found two semi-detached homes engulfed in heavy flames, with the fire spreading to adjacent homes.
Bristol Borough Fire Chief Herb Slack said the intensity of the flames prevented rescuers from reaching a resident who was unable to escape.
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“Due to the intense fire, with the first floors fully involved, firefighters were not able to enter the dwelling to attempt to rescue a resident who was wheelchair-bound and had been unable to escape,” Slack said in a statement Tuesday.
A resident was transported to a local hospital for treatment of possible smoke inhalation, Slack said.
No injuries to firefighters were reported.
The Bucks County Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause of the blaze, which has not yet been determined, county spokesperson James O’Malley said.
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The response was quickly upgraded to a second and then a third alarm by 6:45 p.m. to provide the manpower necessary to protect nearby homes.
At the height of the fire, plumes of thick smoke and bright flames were visible from across the borough.
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Crews from Bristol Township, Bensalem, Falls Township, Middletown Township, Morrisville, and Burlington County, New Jersey, assisted Bristol Borough firefighters.
Firefighters remained on the scene for several hours to undertake extensive overhaul operations and be sure the blaze was fully extinguished.
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The fire was placed under control at 7:39 p.m., and the final units cleared the scene at 11:26 p.m.
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