WESTBOROUGH, Mass. – One woman is dead and a police officer is hospitalized following a fire in Westborough.

Westborough Fire Chief Patrick Purcell said the fire broke out on Belknap Street just before 2:00 p.m. Monday. Several propane tanks on a side porch exploded as firefighters were fighting the flames, making their response even more difficult.

Purcell said the fire appears to have started in the living room where the elderly victim was found, but the cause is under investigation.

"We did make a very, very aggressive interior attack,” Purcell said. “The crew from truck one and engine four, truck one made a rescue attempt without the protection of a hose line when they first arrived on scene and unfortunately, they were pushed back at the beginning until engine four could back them up with a hose line and begin to cool the room before they located the victim. Truck one went above and beyond pushing through that fire to try and locate her and attempt a rescue."

Purcell said wind also created challenges. Once the house was under control, the fire spread to the woods nearby before crews knocked it down.

The police officer was treated for smoke inhalation. A firefighter was also treated on scene for burns.