ROCKINGHAM — A woman reportedly died in her home during a fire Sunday night.
According to a Facebook post from Cordova Fire and Rescue, crews were dispatched to a structure fire on Tillman Road, west of Rockingham, around 9:45 p.m. Jan. 19.
By the time they arrived, the home was reportedly 50% engulfed in flames and firemen were told there was an elderly woman still inside.
Crews entered the single-story home through three access points, trying to find her through heavy smoke and fire, according to the post.
The woman was found, however, the department said she had already passed away.
Crews from the Lilesville and East Rockingham fire departments responded as mutual aid. The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, FirstHealth EMS and Richmond County Emergency Services were also on scene, which was finally cleared around 4:30 a.m. Monday.
The sheriff's office announced on Tuesday that the victim was 77-year-old Geneva Sweeney.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family,” Chief Jeremy Chance said in the post. "Members and apparatus had a very good response to this fire, unfortunately conditions where not survivable ... (I) would also like to thank our members for their dedication to this community and all their hard work ... again we pray for this family in their time of loss."
The fire is being investigated by the sheriff’s office and Office of the State Fire Marshal.
According to the sheriff's office, investigators "determined the cause of the fire was due to combustible material stored near a heating source."
According to a press release by the OSM dated Jan. 17, there have been 14 fire fatalities in North Carolina so far this year.
The 2024 Fire Fatality Report documents 122 people died in 107 fires across the state. There were none in Richmond County, however there was one each in neighboring Scotland, Hoke and Stanly counties and two in Moore County.
Mecklenburg and Cumberland counties had the highest number of fatalities with 12 and eight, respectively.
According to the report, there was only one fire fatality reported in Richmond County from 2020-2024.
Emergency Services Director Bob Smith confirmed that Sunday’s fatality was the county’s first of the year. The most recent before that was Feb. 5, 2023 on Will Lane in Ellerbe.
Accidental fires account for a little more than half of all related fatalities, and smoke detectors were either not present or not working in a majority of cases, according to the report.
“These statistics are a sobering reminder of the importance of fire prevention and safety measures,” State Fire Marshal Brian Taylor said in the press release. “Simple actions, such as ensuring working smoke alarms and practicing fire escape plans, will save lives.”
See the report below.
NOTE: This story has been updated to include information from the sheriff's office. 5:20 p.m. 1-21-25.
