MIDDLEBORO — A 91-year-old woman died early Monday morning in a house fire on Everett Street, according to Middleboro Fire Chief Owen Thompson.

Fire crews responded to 72 Everett St. shortly before 3 a.m. on Sept. 1 and arrived to find intense fire coming from several first-floor windows of the two-story, multi-family home.

Three of the four residents, including the homeowner, Napoleon Desrosiers, were able to escape the home uninjured before first-responders arrived. The victim was found inside by firefighters and pronounced dead at the scene.

Although officials have not released the victim’s name, neighbors said she was a relative of Desrosiers.

The fire was brought under control within 30 minutes, but flames had already destroyed most of the first and second floors and the attic. The majority of the property was damaged by fire or smoke. No firefighters were injured in the response. 

The cause and origin of the fire remain under investigation by the Middleboro Fire Department and State Police. 

By midday Monday, family members and neighbors were on the property boarding up windows and securing the home.

“She was a great lady,” said neighbor Rob Willis. “I’ve lived here for 24 years, and they were here when I moved in. They’ve always been great neighbors. I hope they rebuild.”

Willis said he learned about the fire hours after it happened.

“My son woke me up because [the family] were standing out here. My son said ‘come in the house,’” Willis recounted. “I couldn’t believe what I was seeing,”

Fire departments from Raynham, Bridgewater, Lakeville and Carver provided mutual aid at the scene. Wareham firefighters covered Middleboro stations during the response.

“This was a tragic situation,” Thompson said. “Unfortunately, this is the third fatal fire in Middleboro in the past two years. 

“Our firefighters responded professionally. “They did an excellent job attacking the fire and aggressively extinguishing the flames, especially considering the amount of fire they encountered as they first arrived,” he said.  

Thompson extended condolences to the victim’s family on behalf of the department.