Fire causes death of Cedar Rapids woman Thursday

A fire on Thursday evening caused the death of a Cedar Rapids woman, according to the Cedar Rapids Fire Department.

At 5:22 p.m., firefighters responded to a multi-unit residential fire in the 3800 block of Bluebird Drive SW, where an attached garage was fully involved.

A public safety news release from the city said that an elderly man was alerted to the fire from smoke alarms and an elderly woman was exposed to smoke as she attempted to escape.

Officals identified the victim as Barbara Pettie, age 70.

Firefighters and ambulance personnel treated Pettie on the scene. She was transported to a hospital and pronounced deceased after a short time.

The fire was under control in less than an hour.

An auxiliary heater in the garage caused the fire, according to a subsequent news release.