Woman died of natural causes before her home caught fire, authorities say

FEB. 6 VIDEO UPDATE:

TEXARKANA, Texas (KSLA) - The person found deceased after a house fire in Texarkana has now been identified.

Texarkana Texas Police Department (TTPD) and Texarkana Texas Fire Department (TTFP) arrived at a house fire in the 100 block of Jerome Street late in the afternoon on Feb. 2.

Firefighters found one person dead inside of the home, say officials with TTPD. On Monday, Feb. 6, she was identified as Karen Stepp, 69, of Texarkana, Texas. The autopsy shows Stepp died of natural causes before the fire. She reportedly suffered from a number of serious long-term health issues.

Officials with TTPD say the fire was the result of electrical issues in Stepp’s home. It’s believed the fire started in her bedroom in the back of the house. Foul play is not suspected in Stepp’s death.

Police say emergency crews got a 911 call about the fire around 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 2. When firefighters got there, they could see flames and smoke coming from the house. Firefighters went inside and found Stepp unconscious in the front hallway. She was immediately taken outside and firefighters began lifesaving efforts. However, those efforts were unsuccessful and she was pronounced dead on scene.

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