Elderly Woman Dies Following Beeston Flat Fire

An 88-year-old woman sadly passed away on Tuesday (15 July) evening, following a fire in her flat on Union Street, Beeston, on Saturday afternoon. 

Emergency services were called to the scene at 3:14pm on Saturday 12 July after a passer-by raised the alarm. Firefighters from West Bridgford, Stockhill and Highfields Fire Stations responded swiftly, and rescued the woman from the flat. She was taken to Queen’s Medical Centre, where she passed away three days later. 

A dog was also found unconscious in the flat and was revived thanks to a pet oxygen mask and CPR administered by a police officer on scene. 

A joint investigation conducted by Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service and Nottinghamshire Police has determined that the fire was caused by an accidental ignition involving a naked flame, and that the fire started in the back bedroom of the property. 

Amy Goulden, Head of Community Safety and Engagement, said: “On behalf of Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service, I want to express our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of the woman who tragically lost her life. 

“This is an upsetting incident for the local community and support is available through our partnership with Nottinghamshire Talking Therapies for anyone who may have been affected by this incident. 

“This is also a sad reminder of the damage that fire can do. We’d like to encourage everyone to ensure they are looking out for their elderly or vulnerable neighbours and relatives, and we want local people to know that we can help with this. 

“We offer a free online home safety check that you can do for yourself, or somebody you know. Once complete, we will let you know if we’ve got any concerns with the information you’ve given, and our staff may arrange an in-person visit to the home in question. 

“We’d also like to remind professionals that work with vulnerable people in the community that they can book onto our free partner training, which will help them identify whether or not the people they are working with may be at risk of fire.”