Police: A 49-year-old woman died Thursday in the Hershey Fire

517 West Chocolate Avenue, photo: Aura Hill.

By Drew Weidman

A 49-year-old woman died as a result of the house fire of a second alarm on block 500 of West Chocolate Avenue in Hershey on Thursday morning, said the head of the Derry Township Police, Garth Warner, at The Sun.

The police do not disclose the identity of the victim, pending notification of relatives.

Warner said the crews were called to the scene around 6:45 am after the dispatch had received reports of fires in an apartment in the house.

A firefighter resting, as well as two police officers from the Township of Derry, tried to enter the house.

"They saw smoke and tried to get in. They were pushed back (by the smoke) once the door was crossed," Warner told the Sun.

Warner said the crews went to the back of the house, where they found the victim.

"Once they were able to find the victim, it was determined that it was too late to take any rescue measures," Warner said.

The cause of the fire is under study.

Two police officers and a firefighter on duty were treated for smoke inhalation, said a first responder at the Sun.

Chocolate Avenue was closed for several hours this morning as crews were investigating the scene.