A woman is dead after a house fire in Jim Thorpe.

Jim Thorpe Fire Chief Vincent Yaich said the home at 405 Center Ave. is owned by Thomas and Lynn Highland.

“There was a fatality. We are pretty sure it is his wife, “ Yaich said.

He said the Carbon County Coroner is on scene. Next of kin has been notified, he said.

Coroner Robert Miller confirmed the woman died in the fire. “Before we do an ID, we have to do the dental records,” he said.

An autopsy is set for 8 a.m. Tuesday at the Lehigh Valley Hospital, he said.

Highland has first and third degree burns. He was taken to Lehigh Valley Burn Center in Allentown. Yaich said Highland escaped the house through the basement. He was conscious before being transported via ambulance.

An employee of the Carbon County Communications Center said a call came in at 5:22 a.m. for a fire that was upgraded to a fully involved fire 6 minutes later.

Yaich was first to arrive on scene.

“The entire front of the structure, first and second floor, was involved in flames,” he said.

Flames shot out the second floor windows. A neighbor tried to enter several times but was met with heavy fire, he said.

Firefighters also had a difficult time because of the intensity of the fire.

“The initial attack was exterior until we could get the bulk of the fire knocked down,” which he said was 90 minutes. “The guys did all they could, but at that point there was too much volume of fire,” he said.

Afterward, firefighters entered for an interior attack.

“The home is a total loss,” he said.

The scene was cleared by 9:45 a.m.

He believes the home is insured. A damage estimate was not provided. He does not know if the home had working smoke detectors.

“It’s undetermined at this point,” he said of the fire that is being investigated by state police at Hazleton and a detective from the Jim Thorpe Police Department.

Red Cross personnel were on scene. No firefighters were injured.

Responding to the scene were police from Jim Thorpe, Lehighton Ambulance and fire departments from Jim Thorpe, Penn Forest, Lansford, Summit Hill, Nesquehoning, Franklin Township and Lehighton.