Emergency service officers arrived at the Amangu Close house at around 10.40am to find the female occupant dead, with partial burns to her body.

The house’s garden shed was also alight.

The fire brigade was quick to extinguish the fire, as members of the woman’s family arrived at the house and were comforted at the scene.

Teams of police officers canvassed the neighbourhood in an effort to establish what happened and a scientific investigative team spent much of yesterday at the house.

Shocked neighbours said the street was occupied by “brilliant, gentle people,” describing yesterday’s incident as terribly sad.

“Everyone gets on very well here,” said a neighbour, who declined to be named.

“Most people come to our street party and everyone’s friendly.”

Several neighbours reported hearing people engaged in a loud verbal dispute earlier that morning.

“Someone was going ballistic and there was lots of screaming,” a neighbour said.

At press time no arrests had been made.

Orange police Inspector Peter Atkins confirmed the police were still investigating the crime and were yet to determine the woman’s cause of death.

tracey.prisk@ruralpress. com