UPDATE: Elderly Woman Dies in Bethel Park Fire

An elderly woman living at 88 Highland Road, Bethel Park, was found dead after an early morning fire Friday.

Crews recovered her body around 9 a.m.

The Allegheny County Medical Examiner's office is still working on confirming the identity of the woman and the cause of her death.

Bethel Park police first received a call about smoke in the area around 4:30 a.m. They were told smoke was covering Connor Road in Mt. Lebanon.

As police were searching for the source of the smoke, they saw it coming from the Highland Road home and witnessed a back window burst and flames engulf the house.

"It was very surreal, all you could smell was burning plastics and wood. The flames were definitely higher than the tree line," said Scott Lane, a resident of the Lincoln Pointe apartments in Bethel Park. "It was bright enough from the flames and loud enough from the popping of something in the fire to wake up a few of my neighbors too.

The woman was in her mid-80s and lived in the home alone. Police and neighbors said she was a hoarder.

Police said she was "an eccentric collector" who would gather food items from local grocery stores and eateries and distribute to the needy.

"Everyone knew her and everyone liked her," police said.

Another neighbor told the Pittsburgh Post Gazette that the woman, Liz Cutone, called him the night before and said if she had a gun she would kill herself. He said she was depressed because one of her friends had recently died and her driver's license had been revoked.

assisted the Bethel Park Fire Department.

Check back with Upper St. Clair Patch for continuing updates.

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