Man in his 60s dies after blaze rips through flat as firefighters issue urgent warning about fire alarms
A MAN in his 60s has died following a house fire at the weekend.
Emergency services were called to a flat on Forcett Street in Darlington, County Durham, shortly before 4am yesterday.
By the time crews arrived on the scene, the blaze was fully developed and firefighters needed specialist breathing equipment to enter the property where they found a man unconscious.
Officers performed CPR and he was rushed to hospital but despite the best efforts of medics, he was pronounced dead hours later.
Firefighters were eventually able to extinguish the blaze using hose reels.
A joint investigation between the fire service and Durham Police is underway to determine the cause of the fire.
However, the incident is not being treated as suspicious.
A cordon remains in place at the scene and crime investigators were spotted on the street this morning.
Dan Wootton, group manager of County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service, has launched an appeal to the public to make sure they have working smoke alarms installed.
He said: “As a fire service, this is never the outcome we hope for.
“The thoughts of everyone at CDDFRS are with the family and friends of those affected by this tragic incident.
“At tragic times like this, we are reminded of the dangers of fire and the reality that fire kills.
“As a Service, we aim to protect and educate members of our communities about the dangers of fire and we therefore, once again, issue our plea to every household – whether they be in a house, a flat or a caravan – to make sure you are checking your smoke alarms weekly.
“If you don’t have smoke alarms – we can fit them for you as part of our free Home Fire Safety Visits.
“Nothing matters more to us than the safety of those who live in our communities, and we ask that you reach out to your neighbours and loved ones, particularly those who are older and living alone and offer to help them test their smoke alarms or help arrange an HFSV from their local fire crews.
“We all have a duty to look after one another so please do play your part in keeping communities safe.”