Fire kills 83-year-old woman

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- A house fire killed an 83-year-old woman who lived there, Springfield fire chief Dan Whisler said.

David Brown, an investigator with the Greene County Medical Examiner's office, identified the woman as Roberta Shortino.

Shortino, who neighbors said lived at the home with her daughter, was alone at the time of the fire, about 8:45 p.m. Friday, Brown said.

Whisler said he would not speculate on the cause of the blaze until the investigation was complete.

The fire, which was reported by neighbors who saw smoke coming from the house, appears to have started in a room on the northwest corner of the home.

Most of the fire damage was concentrated in that area, but the remainder of the home suffered heavy damage from smoke and water.