Elderly woman killed in house fire in Warrington

3:09pm Tuesday 2nd December 2008

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AN ELDERLY woman was killed in a devastating house fire in Orford in the early hours of Monday morning.

Despite frantic efforts by paramedics and firefighters to save her, 71-year-old Margaret Prytherch was pronounced dead following the fierce blaze.

The fire broke out in the spare bedroom of her house, on Shaw's Avenue in Orford, following a suspected electrical fault.

Neighbours Bill and Elsie Arnold, awoken by their dog Benji who was barking at the flames, dialled 999 and the fire service was sent out at 5.30am.

As they arrived, flames were billowing out of the upstairs windows.

“When I looked it was just one big blaze of orange flames,” said Elsie, aged 79, of East Avenue.

Firefighters broke down the door and four of them, wearing breathing apparatus, entered the house to search for Mrs Prytherch.

They found her unconscious in the house.

There was one smoke detector downstairs in the house, which did not appear to have sounded, and none upstairs said Watch Manager Rob Milnes, from Warrington Fire Station.

It appeared Mrs Prytherch had opened the door to the room that was on fire, and was overcome by gases, he said.

“Smoke detectors will save your life as long as you do what you’re supposed to do,” said Watch Manager Milnes.

“But no smoke detector in the world is going to protect you once the fire’s let out of the room,” he said.

Your local fire station offers free home safety assessments, including free smoke alarms.

After the tragic blaze on Monday other residents of Shaw's Avenue were given smoke alarms and safety checks.

Two fire engines from Warrington and one from Birchwood were sent to the fire.