THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT  
              Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Monday, March 6, 1995                  TAG: 9503060032
SECTION: LOCAL                    PAGE: B3   EDITION: FINAL  
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH                         LENGTH: Short :   42 lines

CORRECTION/CLARIFICATION: ***************************************************************** A story Monday about a fatal house fire in Portsmouth was incorrect when it said a victim of the fire ran outside the burning building and then went back inside. Fire officials now say that the victim did not leave the house before she was overcome by smoke. Correction published Thursday, March 9, 1995 on page A2. ***************************************************************** WOMAN FLEES HOUSE FIRE BUT RETURNS AND IS KILLED

A woman who initially had escaped a burning house was killed Sunday morning when she ran back inside, apparently to get some clothing.

The fire in the 1200 block of Wirt Ave. in the Prentis Park section heavily damaged the single-story, frame dwelling. The blaze was reported at 10:12 a.m.

Firefighters from three engine companies and a ladder detachment were called to the scene. No one else was injured.

The name of the victim was not immediately known. Police were working Sunday to establish her identity.

Investigators said the fire was accidental and was sparked by a space heater that had been placed too close to combustible materials.

Witnesses said the woman had initially escaped the blaze, but that she was unclothed and that she ran back inside the house to get some clothing. It was unclear if she was overcome by smoke or if something else happened to her after she went back inside.

KEYWORDS: FIRE FATALITY by CNB