JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — One woman was found dead in her home after an overnight house fire destroyed most of it in the Lakewood area.
Family and friends confirm it was 67-year-old Ellen Anderson.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said officers who were patrolling near Hendricks Avenue began smelling smoke a little after midnight. The eventually found a home in flames along Pinewood Avenue and called the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department.
Neighbors remember Anderson as “the plant lady.”
Friend David Felton said she had a green thumb and had the ability to grow flowers and bushes around her home.
“She loved her garden. She could take any plant and revitalize it,” Felton said.
RELATED: Woman found dead in Lakewood house fire
Felton said he immediately drove to her home when he heard the news of her death.
JSO said when they found Anderson’s home on fire at 12:20 a.m., there were flames as high as five feet tall. Neighbors told Action News Jax the house was engulfed in the fire.
“I have an older house myself but to see anyone’s home like that where they live and especially when it’s directly across the street from you is extremely sad to see,” one neighbor said.
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
Firefighters found Anderson dead inside her home. Officers confirm nobody else was killed in that fire.
A cat survived the fire and officers said they immediately transported it a local veterinarian.
The fire looks like it was an accident, however the cause of it is still under investigation.
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Right now, her friends ask everyone to remember Anderson as the kind, plant loving woman she was.
“She was a wonderful and bright lady. She loved her plants and could fix any garden in anybody’s yard. I just pray for her family now,” Felton said.
Action News Jax reached out to Anderson’s daughters for comment, they declined an on-camera interview.
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
Sign Up
