ETOILE, Texas — The Nacogdoches County Sheriff's Office says that an Etoile woman died in an early morning house fire on Tuesday, Sept. 14.
Deputies and the Etoile Volunteer Fire Department were called to the 700 block of Cr. 559 at 4:25 a.m. in reference to the fire.
Two women were inside the mobile home that caught fire. One had woken up to the smell of spoke. The owner of the residence was handicapped and in a wheelchair. She was able to make it out of the west end of the residence. She then called for help from two nearby neighbors.
The neighbors attempted to enter a door to the residence but the fire was too hot and drove them back. They went to the east side of the residence where the victim, Sarah Elise Moore, 57, was still inside a bedroom. They attempted to pull out an Air Conditioner window unit to make entry into the bedroom where Moore was trapped but were unable to. The fire quickly consumed the mobile home and Moore was later found deceased inside the residence.
Investigators learned after speaking with witnesses, that there had been recent electrical issues at the residence.
The State Fire Marshal’s Office and an Arson Investigator with the Nacogdoches County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene. A preliminary investigation has shown that the fire started near the living room of the residence in the south wall, and then spread quickly toward the East end of the residence. It does appear that electrical issues were the cause of the fire; however, this investigation is still ongoing.
