"They were acting fast:" Woman dies in house fire in Village of Mount Pleasant

MILWAUKEE -- A late night house fire in Mount Pleasant left one woman dead Friday evening, July 1st.

Fatal fire in Mount Pleasant

Police have identified the victim as 49-year-old Lori Liesner.

The fire broke out at a home around 11:00 p.m. near the intersection of Cozy Acre Rd. and Durand Ave.

Police tape now flickers in the wind all along the wide of Ana Hernandez's home.

"That's when he started noticing smoke was coming out so he called 911, my brother-in-law called 911," said Hernandez.

Fatal fire in Mount Pleasant

Hernandez lives less than 50 feet from the home on Durand Avenue. She says another neighbor spotted the scene and altered authorities.

Ana Hernandez

"Woke up my kids, bring them downstairs. The police told us not to worry about it because the fires... they were acting fast," said Hernandez.

Police say dark, black smoke was coming from the home when authorities arrived on scene. All of Durand Avenue was closed down while first responders tried to put the fire out.

"When I came downstairs and I'm standing right now, right here when I'm standing here -- that's when I saw them take the body out," said Hernandez.

Hernandez says a man and a woman lived in the home. She says the man passed away a few months away. Hernandez says she didn't know them well.

"I say, 'Hi, good morning,' you know, 'goodbye, goodnight,' but not a constant friendship or neighbor to neighbor," said Hernandez.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Authorities say it caused close to $70,000 worth of damage to the home.

The official cause of death remains undetermined while they're waiting for the results of an autopsy.