Feb. 20—A 72-year-old woman died Monday, Feb. 19 in a house fire in the village of Sidney, according to police.

The victim of the fire, Juanita M. Merideth, was the owner of the single-family residence at 2 Pearl St. E., where a fire broke out just before 6 p.m.

Sidney Village Fire Department Assistant Chief Michael Singlar said Tuesday that the call came in at 6 p.m. and that fire crews arrived at the scene to heavy smoke showing and flames at the rear of the house.

It took about 30 minutes to put out the fire, he said. The cause of the fire is not known, and there’s no word on whether the structure is a total loss.

The state Office of Fire Prevention and Control was on scene since early Tuesday morning working to determine the fire’s cause.

Sidney Village Police Chief Eric Oliver said that police arrived just before the fire department, and he observed that the back of the home was hard to see from anywhere on the street.

Oliver said Merideth was found in the living room area of the house, and believes she died as a result of the fire, adding that police have no suspicion of foul play.

Mutual aid assistance came from Franklin Fire and Rescue’s FAST team, as well as the fire departments of Bainbridge, Unadilla, Masonville and Sidney Center.

Fire crews from Mount Upton and Trout Creek were on standby.

Representatives from the Afton Fire Department, Chenango County Fire Coordinator Matthew Beckwith and Delaware County Fire Coordinator Steve Hood also assisted at the scene.