WHEATON, Md. - Investigators and neighbors are searching for answers after an elderly woman was found burned to death inside her home in Wheaton.

Neighbors identified the woman as Lila Meizell. They say she was in her 80s and lived alone in the 10500 block of Inwood Avenue.

Meanwhile, investigators and neighbors are trying to determine how the fire started and how Meizell died.

The same neighbors who identified the woman say they spotted smoke coming from Meizell's home about 8 p.m. Wednesday night. First responders on the scene say they had trouble getting into the house, but once inside, firefighters mad a gruesome discovery: Meizell's severely burned body lying on the floor.

Joanne Rosenblatt has lived down the street from Meizell for more than three decades. She says Meizell was very active and she frequently saw her walking in the neighborhood. But seeing the homicide investigators outside Meizell's burnt residence has many wondering how the fire started and how their neighbor died.

"It could be suspicious, I don't know," said Joanne Rosenblatt, a neighbor.

Another neighbor, Edwin Castellon, stopped by to look at the damage a day after the fire. He also helped the first firefighters on the scene, and said firefighters got the fire out quickly. But like others, he wonders how Meizell's body was so badly burned when the fire was contained to a relatively small area.

"She was really bad burned that was the only thing I saw," said Castellon. "Then they asked us to move out and all the fire trucks and police came."

A firefighter and two police officers suffered minor injures as a result of the fire.

The fire was brought under control in 15 minutes.

The two police officers were taken the hospital for treatment of smoke inhalation. One firefighter suffered a cut to his hand.

Montgomery County (web|news) Fire Spokesman Pete Piringer says the cause of the fire remains under investigation.