Clarendon, Jamaica: A woman is said to have died in a house fire in Lionel Town, Clarendon, on Saturday. The cause of the blaze has been determined to be a candle that was lit to dispel darkness.

Investigations have identified the deceased as Fredrica Williams, 81, of Poinciana Terrace, Lionel Town.

Clarendon Fire Department Director Horace Thomas also reportedly warned residents at a Clarendon City Council meeting this month not to use candles to light their homes.

The advice comes after three families lost their homes to fires in the aftermath of the hurricane, leaving locals with no choice but to light their homes with candles as the power company has so far been unable to provide electricity to the communities.

It should be noted that up until now, several southern communities in Central Parish were still experiencing power outages as Jamaica was hit by what was then a Category 4 storm, Hurricane Beryl. Although it has passed, the islands are suffering and are on the road to recovery.

Police officers said they received a call from residents at around 12:46 p.m. reporting a house on fire. The patrol team responded immediately to the calls and arrived on scene, where they witnessed a fire in four bedrooms at Poinciana Terrace. The burned property is part of the Lionel Town housing project.

When police arrived, people reported that an elderly woman still lived in the home. Authorities later determined that the fire was caused by a candle lit in the bedroom of the deceased, 81-year-old Fredrica Williams.

The May Pen Fire Department was also alerted and arrived on the scene. The team attempted to extinguish the fire and after it cooled, the charred remains of an elderly woman were found in her room and taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

However, research is still ongoing to determine the exact extent of the damage.