Woman Dies After Catoosa Firefighters Pull Her From Burning House

One woman is dead after firefighters pulled her out of a burning home on Sunday morning.

We have learned the woman identified as Irene Cunningham died at the hospital.

It was an emotional scene near Catoosa while a family watched and waited as firefighters worked frantically to rescue a woman from her burning home.

Neighbors stood by as a medical helicopter landed across the street.

"So we run out here to see if there's anything we could do, but of course, there's not; you just have to kind of stay back out of the way," neighbor Betty Pyeatt said.

Crews from three different departments worked to get Cunningham out of the home.

Firefighters said the fire started in a bedroom of the home on Newton Place a little before 11 a.m. Cunningham and a young boy were inside.

"There was a young boy inside the house also and he made it out,” Catoosa Chief Denus Benton said.

2/1/2015 Related Story: Woman Dies In Catoosa House Fire

Just in time, before the home was consumed by thick smoke and flames, which were conditions that made it difficult for firefighters to get inside.

Neighbors said they are heartbroken for the family because already it has been a tough month.

"One of the neighbors said she just lost her husband 3 weeks ago, and now then her house is on fire,” Pyeatt said.

Benton agreed it not only is emotional for firefighters but also for neighbors.

“It's pretty rough whenever you bring a family member out of a house like that and then the firefighters are working on them in the front yard,” he said. “You can only imagine if that circumstance happened to you and you're sitting there and it's just right in front of you. Yeah that's a pretty emotional deal."

It left Pyeatt feeling helpless.

“There's nothing we can do but hope and pray,” she said.

The state fire marshal is investigating the official cause.