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Firefighters release report on November 2018 Polk County fire that killed a 76-year-old woman

Posted at 11:02 PM, May 06, 2019
and last updated 2019-05-07 03:18:32-04

LAKELAND, Fla. — Firefighters released a new report giving new insight into the Nov. 2018 house fire that killed a 76-year-old woman.

Loretta Pickard, who was inside her home, died in the fire.

One of the many findings in the report includes a computer with vital information was down on the First Responding Unit, which included where she was, inside the house.

Pickard's widower wants to sue Polk County and the Polk County Sheriff's Office.

At the time of the fire, Loretta Pickard called 911 in November 2018 saying there was smoke inside her home.

During a 20-minute phone call, the woman told dispatchers that in order to leave her home, she would have to stand up and use her walker. Pickard was recovering from a recent hip surgery. In the call, the dispatcher told Pickard to not hang up.

RELATED: Polk County woman dies in fire, family claims more could have been done to save her

Below is the full report released by the Polk County Fire Rescue: