A Weldon woman died following a fire in the 100 block of Fourth Street Sunday morning.
Weldon fire Chief Rusty Bolt said firefighters responded to a call around 2 a.m. which was reported as a house fire and that a person was burned as a result.
The woman was identified as Margaret Sing, 87, Bolt confirmed.
Firefighters found the house was full of smoke but saw no fire.
They learned the victim’s son had put the fire out and used a blanket to smother the flames on his mother.
Bolt said the woman’s clothing and blanket caught fire as she stood too close to a propane heater in the kitchen.
The fire department recommends staying 3-feet away and placing heaters at least 3-feet away from any items or furniture.
In reporting the matter to the North Carolina Office of the State Fire Marshal Bolt said the office informed him last year there were 11 fire-related deaths in the state, the majority of them from space heaters.