Residents react to 'devastating' fatal Mansfield house fire in which pensioner died

Residents have reacted to a “devastating” house fire which claimed the life of a 73-year-old pensioner in Mansfield.
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Nottinghamshire Police and the fire service have launched a joint investigation to establish the cause of the fire, after emergency services were called to an address on Linby Avenue shortly after 5pm on December 23.

A 73-year-old woman was taken to hospital following the blaze, where she died on Christmas Eve (December 24). A 75-year-old man was also taken to hospital suffering from shock.

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And in the days after the incident, residents in the area have reacted to the tragic fire, saying it is horrible “so close to Christmas”.

Police and firefighters were at the scene. Image credit: Nottingham Post.Police and firefighters were at the scene. Image credit: Nottingham Post.
Police and firefighters were at the scene. Image credit: Nottingham Post.

Peter Walden, 63, who was out with his dog Pepper on nearby Brick Kiln Lane, said: “I heard about it on the news, it’s absolutely awful. If you go onto the street you can see the damage to the house, it must have been bad.

“I can only say that my heart goes out to the woman’s family. Losing someone is tough but so close to Christmas is even worse.”

Lucy Jackson, 32, added: “The whole area has been in shock since the fire. It was devastating to see and hear about, emergency services were here for ages and they should be commended for their hard work trying to save her.”

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Nottinghamshire Live has also reported that a neighbour, who wished to remain anonymous, attempted to kick the door of the property down to help the pensioner.

The 19-year-old man said: “It was just awful to see. There was me and two others who tried to kick the door in, we did not know who was in there.

“Someone smashed the front window with a hammer. The fire service were here within minutes, they were fantastic.

“They brought a woman out and started giving her CPR before she was put in an ambulance. It was so shocking. We just tried to help where we could.”

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Emergency services continue to investigate the cause of the blaze.

Damien West, Notts Fire Service area manager, added: "Our thoughts and deepest sympathies go out to the family, friends and local community following this tragic incident, made all the more poignant at this time of year."