EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. - A house fire has killed three people in East St. Louis Friday morning.

According to officials, the fire broke out in the 3300 block of Bond Ave. just before 7 a.m.

The St. Clair County Coroner's Office identified the victims as 95-year-old Sylvester Reeves, 56-year-old Pierre Maley and 59-year-old Cheryl Johnson.

Family and friends say Reeves lived nearly a century, guiding her family with resilience and grace. She was cared for daily by her grandson Manley, and Johnson was a good friend of the family.  

"It's (an) extreme tragedy to the community," Chief Derrick Burns said. "The grandmother, she was very well know lady. You saw all the support that came out when the word got around that this tragedy had happened and its devastating."

At 95 years old, loved ones say Reeves was the cornerstone of their family, and her loss leaves a void that can never be filled.

"She was a sweet lady, church going, she would help anyone in the neighborhood she had a heart of gold. My brother was the same way. Family and friends everyone will miss her. She's been around 95 years," said Dwight Harris, grandson.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, but first responders say when they arrived to the house, it was engulfed in flames, making rescue efforts impossible.