Neighbours on a 'quiet' Nottinghamshire street where a 57-year-old woman died in a house fire say her loss is a tragedy. Nottinghamshire Police and Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue have been investigating the incident on Princess Avenue in the Forest Town area.
Firefighters were first called to the scene at 5.30pm on Thursday (January 19) after neighbours called the emergency services. Nottinghamshire Police later confirmed that a 57-year-old woman was declared dead at the scene and that her family had been informed.
The exact cause of the fire is still being fully investigated and people living in the area have now expressed their sadness at what has happened. Alan Spencer, 66, who himself lives on Princess Avenue, said: "I didn't know anything about the fire until I was stood at my cooker in the kitchen and I saw all of the flashing blue lights.
Read more: Family's hope for 'justice' after budding paramedic dies in crash
"This is such a quiet area and when I first moved in, I was actually surprised if I saw someone walking down the street at night because it's that quiet. Things like this can happen anywhere though and it's a real shame, I didn't know the woman but I obviously feel really sorry for her family."
A resident who lives one street away was walking past the scene of the incident on Friday (January 20) and said: "I was walking the dog down here last night when all of the emergency services were here and because this is a quiet area, I obviously wondered what was happening.
"It was definitely shocking when I later heard that somebody had unfortunately lost their life. I come down here a lot and say hello to a lot of the people, so it left me wondering whether somebody I have previously spoken to had died."
Another Princess Avenue resident, who asked not to be named, said: "I was obviously very sad when I heard that a woman had lost her life. I didn't know who lived there because I haven't been here long, but it's terrible for all her friends and family.
"I didn't know about the fire until I had a message from my sister asking if I was OK, so I knew something must have been going on. Even though this is a quiet area, tragedies like this can happen anywhere."
A heavy police presence remained at the scene on Princess Avenue on Friday morning, with forensic officers seen entering the property and speaking with nearby neighbours. Group Manager Chris Emmott, from Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service, added: "On behalf of Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service, I would like to express my condolences to the woman’s family and friends at this difficult time. We are grateful to the local community for their patience and understanding while we investigate the cause of this fire."
READ NEXT:
- Police officer holds on to drowning man for 20 minutes in River Trent rescue
- CCTV appeal after boy reportedly bitten by dog on Christmas Day
- Pub temporarily shut as it undergoes £260k revamp
- Couple died after tealight set sofa alight in house fire
- All the upcoming strikes taking place across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire
