A 67-year-old Selma woman was killed Saturday in an early morning house fire.

The fire happened between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. on the 1300 block of Mabry Street. Rhonda Cleveland said her mother, Linda Bruno, died in the fire.

“When I got there they said they heard my mom hollering there was a fire,” Cleveland said. “But by the time they got up to the front, the fire had gotten so bad they couldn’t her get out.”

Selma Fire Chief Toney Stephens confirmed the fatality.

Cleveland said her 29-year-old son and two uncles were inside the home, but they were able to get out safe. She said her mother was bedridden after a stroke around four years ago.

Larry Lewis, who lived next door and knew Bruno for nearly 20 years, said he woke up to banging on his back door.

“One of the neighbor’s mothers came by, and she was beating on the door,” Lewis said.

“I heard and went and told my wife to get up that something bad was happening. I came back to the kitchen window, and when I looked across there, there was nothing but a little blaze on this side.”

Lewis said he thought his home was on fire at first but quickly realized it was Bruno’s home instead.

“It was bad. It was real bad. I went to the window, and I could hear her hollering,” Lewis said. “That’s when the fire department told us to get out of there. From there on, the [fire] went through the house like paper.”

Lewis said firefighters with the Selma Fire Department tried to get her out, but it was too late.

“They couldn’t get her out because it was so smoky,” he said. “They tried, but they just couldn’t get her out.”

Cleveland said her mother’s passing is tragic, but she will be remembered for being a kind woman.

“She was well-known in the neighborhood,” she said. “She always invited people to her house. Anybody was welcome to come there and stay there. She was just a good-hearted person.”

Cleveland said her mother was also known for calling into a local gospel radio station every night and played piano for several churches in the past.

Cleveland said nothing could be salvaged from the fire, but they are getting assistance from the American Red Cross. Cleveland said any help would be appreciated. She can be contacted at (334) 419-1973 for donations.

Stephens said the fire is still under investigation by the State Fire Marshal.