POLICE are tracing the family of a man who died after a house fire.

Emergency services were called to a blaze in the Thornhill area of Sunderland at 8.40pm on Tuesday.

Crews from Farringdon, Marley Park and Washington attended the scene on Elmwood Street and quickly entered the property to extinguish the blaze.

They rescued a man in his 60s from inside the address and he was immediately attended to by the North East Ambulance Service (NEAS).

He was pronounced dead at the scene and a joint investigation into the circumstances around the fire has now been launched by Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service and Northumbria Police.

Assistant Chief Fire Officer Lynsey McVay said: “Any death is a tragedy and our thoughts are very much with the man’s family at this time.

“Our crews were on scene in a matter of minutes and were able to rescue the man from the house very soon after arriving at the property.

“I want to applaud the crews, and our Fire Control, for their quick actions in attending the incident and for doing everything they could to bring the occupant to safety.

“Our fire investigators will now be supporting Northumbria Police as they carry out enquiries to establish the circumstances around the incident.”

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Police officers will be preparing a report for the coroner so an inquest into the circumstances of the man’s death can be established.

Detective Inspector Ed Hollingsworth, of Northumbria Police, said: “This is a tragic incident and enquiries are ongoing to trace the man’s next of kin.

“An investigation has been launched alongside the fire service as to the cause of the blaze and that is very much ongoing. However, at this early stage, it is not believed to be suspicious.”

Anyone with information about the fire is asked to contact police through their website, or by calling 101, quoting reference NP-20220208-1037.

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