Fire crews and investigators respond to a fatal house fire in the Chapel Hill area on Friday afternoon.

An elderly woman was found dead after a house fire Friday afternoon in the Chapel Hill area, according to the Smith County Fire Marshal’s Office.

Josh Hill, criminal investigator with the fire marshal’s office, confirmed that after executing a search warrant, investigators discovered an unidentified person inside the home in the 10550 block of Rolling Pines Drive.

The house was not fully engulfed in flames when investigators arrived, and soon after crews arrived to put out the fire, Hill said.

Smith County Fire Marshal Jay Brooks confirmed the fire’s area of origin was in the same room of the house she was in.

He said when firefighters arrived, they were battling wind-driven flames and the roof started collapsing. At that point, the fire spread fast inside the attic and the battle against the fire became defensive.

According to Brooks, the cause of the fire is not yet determined, but he believes the blaze was not intentional.

Hill said a justice of the peace was called to the scene to make a death pronouncement.

A medical examiner will review the body to determine the cause of death, Brooks said.

Responding agencies included Smith County Emergency Services District No. 2 and Chapel Hill, Jackson Heights and city of Whitehouse fire departments.