Firefighters find 1 dead in West Ashley home

Firefighters putting out a fire in a West Ashley house Wednesday found a dead woman inside.

The single-story brick house is at 2358 Brevard Road in Drayton on the Ashley. The Charleston County Coroner’s Office identified the woman as Anne Bello, 81. She lived in the house alone.

Neither the fire nor the death appeared to be suspicious, Charleston County Sheriff’s Maj. Jim Brady said.

Investigators were working to determine the cause of the fire. An autopsy is planned for today to determine the cause of death.

Susan English was out on her porch across the street when she saw heavy black smoke coming from the house around 11 a.m. She tried to knock on the front door and found the surface too hot to touch. She called 911 for help.

Responders included the St. Andrews Fire Department, St. Johns Fire and Rescue and the James Island Fire Department.

Firefighters got the call at 11:18 a.m., St. Andrews Fire Marshal Nathan Murtaugh said. When they arrived, the house was filled with black smoke and flames were in the den in the rear of the house. They cut a hole in the roof to let out the heat and smoke and put out the fire within a few minutes, he said. They found the woman inside the house and called the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office.

The hole in the roof was the only visible damage from outside. Firefighters climbed onto the roof and covered the hole with plastic before they left.

Reach Dave Munday at 937-5553 or twitter.com/dmunday.