Fremont Woman Killed in House Fire

FREMONT, N.C. — A Fremont woman was killed Saturday when a fire destroyed her small farmhouse at 413 Napoleon Road.

Justine Coley, 82, was home alone when a witness saw smoke coming from the residence and called the fire department, officials said. Her body was later discovered in the kitchen area.

Fremont, Eureka and Faro volunteer firefighters and Wayne County sheriff's deputies responded to the fire around 1:45 p.m. and found the house consumed by flames and burned to the ground.

Debris from the fire scattered and started a woods fire, according to officials. Eureka and Faro firefighters fought the woods fire, while Fremont officials battled the house fire. No other homes were damaged.

Coley lived in the house on Napoleon Road with two other family members. They were not at home when the fire began, officials said.

Sheriff's investigators and State Bureau of Investigations detectives spent nearly six hours looking through debris for clues for about how the fire started. They are still investigating the cause, but don't suspect foul play, sheriff's officials said.