Northumberland house fire: Man, 78, dies at scene

An investigation is under way after a man died in a house fire in Northumberland.

Three crews were called to the fire at West End, Chatton at about 15:40 GMT on Friday.

A 78-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene, despite the efforts of paramedics.

The Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service (NFRS) said it was the first house fire death in the county in several years.

"This is a tragic incident and all of our thoughts are with the family and friends," Paul Hedley, chief fire officer at NFRS, said.

Firefighters from Wooler, Alnwick and Berwick arrived at the scene where they found an unresponsive man. The fire service said "despite best efforts," the man had died.

Mr Hedley said "both the crews and Fire Control did an incredible job" considering the "difficult circumstances" and said NFRS would be providing them with support.

He said: "This is the first death from a property fire within Northumberland for a number of years.

"We will ensure that we look for any learning from this incident to help us to ensure the residents of Northumberland are kept as safe as possible."

Investigations into the cause of the fire continue.

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