Floral tributes have been left for a 'lovely' man who died in a house fire in Sneinton. Crime scene investigators remain at the scene as the cause of the blaze - which killed two people - is determined.
Firefighters were dispatched to Whittier Road just before 12.45am on Saturday, March 26 where they tackled a serious house fire until the early hours. A number of properties had to be evacuated while the emergency services dealt with the incident which had been brought under control by 2.35am.
Homeowners nearby were left distressed at the devastating news a man and a woman had died. Flowers have been laid outside a cordon which remains in place as of Sunday, March 27.
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Sharna Green, a Sneinton resident of six years, said she knew the male victim well. She said he "was devoted to his dog" who is believed to have been called Scooby.
"He was a lovely man," she added. "The fire was that big I could feel the heat at my window. He has lived on that street for years and years. He had the same routine every morning, letting his dog out at 7am.
"He was the only person who let my friend pass dinners over my fence, in the end she used to make him dinner too. He was very sociable.
"I just felt helpless. My house went pure orange upstairs."
Forensics officers and sniffer dogs, usually used to detect accelerants at the scene of a fire, have been spotted. The terraced house, visibly damaged, remains taped off and a tent has been put up in the road outside.
The names of the victims have not yet been formally released. Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service said: "Emergency services were called to reports of a house fire in Whittier Road, Sneinton, at 12.43am (Saturday 26 March 2022).
"The property, a terraced house, was severely damaged by smoke and fire and adjoining properties were evacuated as fire crews from London Road, Carlton, West Bridgford, Arnold and Stapleford tackled the blaze.
"Sadly a man and a woman were pronounced dead at the scene. The formal identification process is yet to have taken place and enquiries are ongoing.
"A joint fire and police investigation is taking place to establish the cause of the fire. If you have any information please call Nottinghamshire Police on 101, quoting incident number 29 of 26 March 2022."
Following the incident on Saturday, residents spoke of their shock and distress. Caroline Greaves, who lives in Whittier Road, described the street as "lovely and diverse" with a rich, community feel.
"It is just so, so sad," she told Nottinghamshire Live. "I slept through it. My landlord just called me. I did not know the people up that end of the street but I know everyone on my end. I do not know why it started but any loss of life is devastating.
"It's lovely here. It is closed off each end so not many people come down here unless they need to, like delivery drivers or visitors. It's only 20 minutes from the city centre. My neighbour recently moved in. The house was sold in a week. It is so sad."
Becca Whitehead, 29, echoed similar feelings. "It is just so close to home," she said. "It is very sad and my condolences to the family. It is scary. It could have spread because those houses are conjoined."
