Woman dies, 2nd person injured in Northside house fire

Cause of fire still under investigation; police do not suspect foul play

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – One of two people pulled from a burning Northside home early Monday morning has died, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office. A second person was seriously injured.

Firefighters arriving at the home on Bayview Avenue near the Trout River just 6:30 a.m. saw smoke and called for more units to help battle the fire and tend to the two victims, one of which died after reaching a hospital.

The woman who died was identified by family members as 64-year-old Diane Woodward Collins.

Jacksonville Fire-Rescue crews had the fire under control shortly before 7 a.m., but the fire burned through the roof of the home.

The man whose wife called in the fire was sad to learn his neighbor had died.

“We were hoping that nobody was still in the house, you know," Peter McGrath said. "I think my wife told the fire department when she called 911 that there was still somebody in the house and they said, 'Don’t go in the house.' So we heeded their warning. It was pretty involved by the time they got here.”

The state fire marshal was requested to investigate the cause, although police said no foul play was suspected.


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