Woman killed in Black Country house fire
A woman died after a house fire in the Black Country last night - the second fatal blaze in the region in as many days.
Emergency services were called to the semi-detached home in The Knoll, Kingswinford, at around 9.10pm on Thursday.
The 64-year-old woman, who is understood to have been disabled, was confirmed dead at the scene after the fire started in a ground-floor bedroom.
A man escaped the blaze and was treated for smoke inhalation but did not require hospital treatment.
The cause of the fire is not yet known, but a spokesman for West Midlands Fire Service said it is believed to have been accidental and related to electrical equipment.
Police officers and firefighters remained at the scene on Friday morning, where major damage could be seen to the two-storey building.
Ground-floor windows have been boarded up, bricks have fallen out and charred furniture has been removed from the house.
A neighbour, who wished to stay anonymous, said: “We smelt smoke first and thought it was coming from our house.
“Then we heard screaming and ran outside and saw lots of people standing outside the house.
“It was horrible, what a terrible thing to happen.”
Another neighbour added: “It’s so sad, how awful, she was such a nice lady.
“It can happen so easily, it’s tragic.”
West Midlands Police confirmed the fire is not being treated as suspicious.
A West Midlands Fire Service spokesman said: "Last night at 9:08pm, crews from Brierley Hill and a crew from Stourbridge, were called to reports of a house fire on The Knoll in Kingswinford. The first crew arrived in just over four minutes.
"The incident involved a severe fire in the ground-floor front bedroom of the property.
"Regrettably, one woman was confirmed deceased by on scene paramedics.
"Our fire investigation teams have been in attendance overnight, although the full cause is still being determined, it is believed at this stage to be accidental and related to electrical equipment.
"Our thoughts are with the family and friends affected by this incident."
A spokesman for West Midlands Ambulance Service said: "Sadly a woman found inside the property was confirmed dead on scene by ambulance staff.
“A man, who was out of the property when the emergency services arrived, received treatment by ambulance staff after suffering minor smoke inhalation. He didn’t require further hospital treatment and was discharged on scene.”
Two ambulances and a paramedic officer attended the scene.
The woman is the second person to die in a fire in the Black Country in two days after a man was killed during a blaze at a flat in Wolverhampton.
