86-year-old woman dies after house fire

A woman aged 86 has died after a house fire.

Shortly before 7.40am on Thursday 14 March 2013, police were called by GMFRS to a fire on Moor Park Avenue in Castleton, Rochdale, following a report that a woman was inside the property.

Firefighters rescued the pensioner from the house and made efforts to revive the woman, but she sadly died a short time later at hospital.

A joint investigation by GMP and GMFRS is ongoing to determine the cause of the fire but there are not believed to be any suspicious circumstances. 

Watch Manager, Tom Hague, said: “We were met by one of the lady’s relatives, who had heard a smoke alarm sounding, entered the property and then called us.

“The fire was confined to the kitchen of the house and wasn’t intense, but the property was heavily smoke logged when we arrived. We found an elderly lady unconscious at the top of the stairs.

“We rescued her from the fire, gave her oxygen and carried out CPR until the ambulance arrived. She was taken to Fairfield General Hospital.”

Chair of Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Authority, Cllr David Acton, said: “Our thoughts and sympathies go out to this woman and her family. Our crews worked tirelessly to save her and I would like to thank them for their brave actions during this incident.”