The fire broke out around 4:30am at the home on Ocatavia and Kashmere.
The victim was identified as 80-year-old Rosie Salinas. She was home alone when the fire started. By the time firefighters arrived, it was too late. The home was fully engulfed in flames.
"My grandmother is probably one of the liveliest people you'll ever meet," said Salinas' grandson, Daniel Salinas. "She did everything. It didn't matter it she didn't feel well or anything. She lived every day to the fullest."
This was Houston's first fatal fire of 2014.
"The family members tell us that she sleeps in a middle bedroom, so the middle bedroom is in the center of the house, and she's in the back of the house so she was probably trying to escape," said Jay Evans with the Houston Fire Department.
"I woke up to the sirens. I looked out the dining room window and I seen flames," said neighbor Rose Del Rio. "They came and told me that she didn't have a chance to get out. I couldn't believe it. It's not happening."
Salinas had three children and close to a dozen grandchildren.
"It's indescribable -- the love, unconditionally," said Salinas' grandson Alberto Andrado.
"Never stop living every day because you never know. You might wake up one day and it will be your last," said Daniel.
There is no word on what caused the fire.
Houston firefighters will be canvassing the neighborhood with safety literature and will talk with residents about the importance of working smoke detectors, home escape plans and fire prevention.
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