Two sisters who believe their cousin died in an overnight Leesburg house fire say they had been concerned about her safety for months.

Leesburg Fire Rescue confirmed one person died in the fire at 109 S. Truett St. early Friday. Officials have not released the person’s identity, pending official confirmation and notification of next of kin.

Tammy Hutchins and her sister, Teresa, said their cousin lived in the home and needed help caring for herself. They said some relatives had been unable to reach her for several days.

“And when she needed us, we were there for her. I made two well-being checks on her safety in the last three months,” one of the sisters said.

One cousin said she woke up to missed calls Friday morning, saw news of a fire on South Truett Street and rushed to the home. She said neighbors told her her cousin had died.

News 6 has not independently confirmed that identification.

At the scene, News 6 reporter Alex Cook saw the sisters speaking with Leesburg police. When asked about the conversation, they said they had found their cousin’s cellphone inside the house.

“Yeah, we had found her cell phone here, and there was things in that cell phone that needed to be turned over for investigation,” one cousin said.

The sisters did not specify what information was on the phone. News 6 has asked police about the family’s concerns and the phone.

According to the fire department, crews were dispatched at 12:45:54 a.m. and arrived at 12:50:53 a.m., about five minutes later. Lake County Fire Rescue also assisted with firefighting and emergency operations.

The Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the fire’s origin and cause. The department’s release did not identify a cause or describe the fire as suspicious.

The sisters described their cousin as someone who regularly called to check on family and remembered them with holiday cards. They said she had no children of her own but treated their children like her own.

“She was the light of our family,” one sister said. “She was always there for every one of us, all of our children.”