The fire, which originated in the living room, had burned out by the time firefighters arrived at 1005 Grant St. about 4 a.m., city spokeswoman Beverly B. Thompson said. Vera Ashe, 62, was taken to UNC Hospitals’ burn center where she later died, a hospital spokesman said. Her brother, whose name has not been released, was pronounced dead after being rescued from the home. Investigators are still trying to determine how it started, Thompson said. "Just the loss of a good neighbor," said Wilkie Nelson Jr., 62, a neighbor across the street who attended Hillside High School with Ashe. "They were good people."

Yellow police tape surrounded the one-story brick home this afternoon. One front window was blown out and a front door was wide open at the residence, where Velinda Dunn visited had Ashe Wednesday evening. Ashe lived with her younger brother, who was sick, Dunn said. Ashe would often have the oven on with a pot of water inside.

"She said she knew what she was doing," Dunn said. "And she had been doing it for a while." A washing machine was blocking the back door, so the only way out the home was through the front, Dunn said. She believes the rags in the living room may help explain why the fire spread so quickly.