Woman Dies In House Fire

Firecrews say a house fire which killed a woman in Bournemouth was probably started by a cigarette which hadn't been put out properly.

Around 18 firefighters were called to Hall Road in West Howe at 2.15pm on Tuesday 20th November, following a call from a neighbour who heard the smoke alarms going off.

They found the body of a woman inside the house.

A fire investigation has taken place and it's believed that discarded smoking materials near to the body were the cause of a fire.

Fire Investigation officer, Steve Underhill said:

"Although we are awaiting confirmation of the cause of death from the Coroner, it is clear that the victim had not properly disposed of smoking materials, leading to a fire near to her.

"She did have hard-wired smoke alarms which were sounding and alerted a neighbour, but it may well be that she was unable to escape due to mobility or other issues which are not yet clear.

"The message to all smokers however is to ensure that you have fully extinguished your cigarettes or tobacco before you leave the room or are in danger of falling asleep for example.

"It's also a timely message for friends, family and neighbours to look out for people who might be vulnerable, especially as the weather gets colder - and give us a call for a free home fire safety check where we will advise you on a range of things including smoking safety."