EPPING: Man dies in house blaze; postman raises alarm

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http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/t ... _alarm.php

FIRE investigators are at the scene of a house fire in Epping in which a man died.

Crews were called to the property in Bodley Close, off St John's Road, shortly after 8am this morning.

It is understood that a postman raised the alarm when he noticed smoke coming from the two-storey terraced house as he delivered post shortly after 8am.

Fire crews from Epping and Loughton were called and discovered the fire in the living room. All the property was heavily smoke-logged.

Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus found the man lying on the floor. He was carried from the house and left in the care of ambulance crews, but it was later confirmed that he had died.

A joint police and fire investigation has been launched into the cause of the fire.

Essex County Fire and Rescue Service Divisional Officer Ray Skinner said: "The fire started in, and was contained to, the living room area, although the entire property suffered smoke damage.

"Crews found the man on the floor laying near the door, he was left in the care of ambulance crews but we have since received confirmation that he has died."

Speaking at the scene this lunchtime, Station Officer Greg Keys, the officer in charge of the incident, told the Epping Forest Guardian: "The crews rescued a man occupant who was removed to hospital by ambulance. It has been deemed a fatal fire and an investigation is underway to establish the cause.

"There was quite a severe, well-developed fire in part of the room (the living room).

"The neighbours alerted us to the fire and obviously they did the right thing in identifying that there was a fire and called the fire service and made other people aware."

He added: "There's significant damage associated with the fire."

The man who died is believed to have lived alone.

Next-door neighbour Frances Norris praised the postman, Peter, for raising the alarm.

She told the Guardian: "If it wasn't for the postman we would probably have all stayed asleep. It was him who alerted everybody.

"He was delivering the post and apparently he noticed the smoke and alerted the lady next door and it went on from there."

She added: "I saw two fire engines and wondered what was going on. I saw the smoke coming out of the building and then the ambulance people were called down.

"They pulled his body out and at that point we didn't know whether he was dead or alive.

"There was a horrible burning smell coming out of the place.

"It's upsetting. you don't like to hear about something like that happening."

Mrs Norris said she thought 'Peter', the postman, was retiring at the end of this month.

"He's well known to everybody round here," she said. "He's a very friendly and very observant postman."

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