UPDATE: A grandmother trying to keep warm at her family home was killed when a blaze broke out.
It’s believed that 84-year-old Vera Bunn was sitting too close to an electric heater and either her clothing or blankets caught light.
The fire in Fleet last Thursday was so intense that fire crews arrived to find plaster coming off the walls.
Three other people in the house were treated for the effects of smoke inhalation and were taken to hospital.
A family member told the BBC that her grandmother had come home early from bingo and would not normally have been in the house at the time of the blaze.
Sean Taylor, group manager for Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue, described the scene which greeted crews at about 8pm.
“Firefighters made their way into the living room where items had already disintegrated and because of the intense heat plaster was coming away from the walls,” he said.
“An elderly lady was located in the front room of the property.
“Thick smoke had filled the remainder of the property and three people were treated by paramedics for inhalation and transported to hospital.
“We had the fire under control within minutes, although it did take another ten minutes to fully extinguish the fire.”
Long-time neighbours of the property on sparsely-populated Weydike Bank spoke of their shock.
James Smith, transport manager of DNS Transport, said: “It was a big shock. It’s dreadful, really awful.”
Mr Smith had been alerted when lorry drivers returning to the firm’s yard found emergency vehicles filling the narrow no-through road.
Meanwhile, members of the public have been urged to complete a home safety check at www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/lfr to help prevent fires in the home, and to ensure properties have working smoke alarms.
The coroner’s office said formal identification of the victim is yet to take place.
Friday, Jan 9: An elderly lady died in a house fire in Fleet on Thursday night.
The blaze started in a single-storey annexe to a house in Weydike Bank at about 7.30pm. Three other people at the property were treated for the effects of smoke inhalation.
The cause of the fire is not yet known and investigations are under way.
Lincolnshire Police said: “An 84 year-old woman was sadly pronounced dead at the scene. Three of her family members were taken to Boston Pilgrim Hospital to be checked over. The fire is not thought to be suspicious but a police scene guard remains in police to allow fire investigators to complete their work and establish the causes of the tragic incident.”
Fire crews from Holbeach, Spalding and Long Sutton attended the scene. In the wake of the incident, Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue urged people to check that smoke alarms are working.
Weydike Bank is a small road near the Little Holland Drain.
