Fire claimed the life of an elderly Vandalia woman Saturday night in Cass County's Newberg Township.
Phyllis Jean Tucker, 87, was pronounced dead at the scene of a house fire that occurred not long before 10 p.m. Saturday in the 61000 Block of Lewis Lake Road, according to police.
In a press release, Cass County Sheriff Joseph Underwood Jr. reported that deputies found a residence there engulfed by flames when they responded to a report of a house fire at 9:53 pm.
He said two home owners were located outside and had escaped unharmed. But Tucker, of Vandalia, was pronounced dead at the scene. He did not state where in the residence emergency rescue personnel found her nor did he explain any of the circumstances that led up to the fire.
Firefighters and other personnel were still working to determine the cause of the blaze.
"Three of the family's four dogs also escaped the fire, with the fourth being located by firefighters and transported by Cass County Animal Control for care and treatment," Underwood reported.
Assisting deputies at the scene were emergency crews from : Newberg Township Fire Department; Cass Fire Department; Porter Township Fire Department; Penn Township Fire Department; Newberg Ambulance; Life Care Ambulance; and Michigan State Police Fire Investigation.