Clementine Manning's son came by her house near Elysian Fields late this morning and saw the house on fire. He tried to save his mother but the fire was too intense, authorities said.

A sheriff's deputy dispatched to the fire suffered smoke inhalation in a vain effort to get Manning out of the house.

The cause of the fire is under investigation but a fire marshal said preliminary indications are it was electrical. The house, located on Beauty Shop Road, was heavily damaged.