An 86-year-old woman died after a house fire in Stony Mountain on New Year's Day.

Fire crews first arrived on scene around 11:38 p.m., when the fire was already well underway. The woman had a pulse when firefighters brought her out of the house, but she later died, said Stony Mountain-Rockwood Fire Chief Wallace Drysdale.

The woman lived in the lived in the one storey house on School Road and with her elderly brother, Stony Mountain-Rockwood Fire Chief Wallace Drysdale said.

“Having grown up in the town, I knew who lived there,” he said.

When fire crews arrived, the man came out, but the woman was still in her bedroom. Paramedics took the man to hospital for observation.

STARS Air Ambulance was called in. When they arrived decided to transport the woman to hospital in Winnipeg in an attempt to revive her.

As the fire broke out shortly before midnight on Friday, neighbours looked on in shock.

“We could tell there was a fire. The smoke was billowing from their house,” said Karen Kelpin, who lives nearby. "My heart was just racing because of all the lights, and I thought, ‘Oh my God, my neighbours.’ And with the helicopter that loud, it just really was frightening."

Neighbours told CTV the woman and her brother are long-time residents of the community.

"They're very quiet. They keep to themselves. You don't see them out too often. Very nice. They've been around forever," said Kelpin.

RCMP remained on scene for much of the day Saturday, the quiet street giving little indication to Friday’s tragic events.

RCMP remained on scene for much of the day Saturday, the quiet street giving little indication to Friday’s tragic events.

"Generally, everybody knows everybody. It's especially hard on the emergency crews, ‘cause they're helping friends and family on pretty much every call," said Jim Campbell, Reeve for the RM of Rockwood.

The fire gutted the interior of the house, and firefighters had to rip down the ceilings because the house’s wood chip insulation could reignite, said Drysdale.

Firefighters don’t yet know what caused the fire, but RCMP said they don't suspect foul play.