Great-grandmother dies in South Strabane fire

A woman died overnight in a fire at her Washington County home.

Sandra Lee Tinsley, 73, was pronounced dead early Tuesday morning after the fire at Locust Avenue on South Strabane, according to the county coroner’s office.

Tinsley's daughters told Channel 11 they believe she started to cook late Monday night and fell asleep. She had 15 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.

The inside of Tinsley's apartment is completely charred with everything turned black.

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Tinsley's family said everyone called her "Sawny" and that she loved her cat, who was found dead next to her in the kitchen.

"I'm fairly new here, and the second day I'm here she was like my best friend," said neighbor Dave Knight. "She'd fix me meals all the time and bring them over to me."

Just before 2 a.m. Tuesday, her grandson came home and found the house full of smoke, the kitchen cabinets on fire and his grandmother unresponsive on the floor.

Firefighters woke the neighbors on both sides and got them out safely, but Tinsley died there.

The coroner is still working on her autopsy.

Cox Media Group