A woman in her 80s has died after a house fire in Darlington.
Firefighters received a call just before 10am on Saturday (November 25) from worried neighbours on Coxwold Drive in Darlington when they saw thick smoke filling the woman’s home and heard smoke alarms going off.
Fire crews entered the address, which had been unlocked by neighbours, in a bid to locate a woman in her 80s.
Despite the best efforts of paramedics, the woman passed away a short while after.
A joint investigation into the cause of the blaze has been launched by police and fire investigators. The circumstances are not believed to be suspicious.
Speaking after the incident Paul Cummings from the County Durham and Darlington fire service, said: “This is never the outcome we hope for and first and foremost, our thoughts are with the family and friends of those affected by this tragic incident.
“We ask that people give her family and loved ones the privacy they need as they attempt to come to terms with this tragedy.
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“Teams from our service have been out working with local residents in the streets surrounding the area of the fire offering reassurance, advice and home fire safety checks.
“This home was fitted with working smoke alarms, allowing neighbours to call 999. While sadly this has not been enough on this occasion to save a life, it did mean our firefighters were called before the fire had a chance to spread to neighbouring properties.
“Tragic incidents like this remind us of just how devastating fires in the home can be and we encourage all households to have a home fire safety visit.”
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