A man has sadly passed away following a flat fire in Darlington.
At 3.44am on Sunday, June 9 we received a report of a fire within a flat on Forcett Street.
Two crews from Darlington and a third from Bishop Auckland were immediately deployed.
Upon arrival, crews were met with a fully developed fire and firefighters wearing breathing apparatus entered the property and proceeded to conduct a search and extinguish the fire using hose reels.
Firefighters rescued a man in his 60s and performed CPR before the man was taken to hospital where he sadly passed away hours later.
A joint investigation between us and Durham Constabulary is underway to determine the cause of the fire, which is not being treated as suspicious.
Group Manager Dan Wootton of CDDFRS said: “As a firefighter, this is never the outcome we hope for.
“The thoughts of everyone at CDDFRS are with the family and friends of those affected by this tragic incident.”
He added: “At tragic times like this, we are reminded of the dangers of fire and the reality that fire kills and the number of fatal fires recorded each year in the UK is currently on the rise.
“As a Service we aim to protect and educate members of our communities about the dangers of fire and we therefore, once again, issue our plea to every household – whether they be in a house, a flat or a caravan – to make sure you are checking your smoke alarms weekly.
“If you don’t have smoke alarms – we can fit them for you as part of our free Home Fire Safety Visits.
“Nothing matters more to us than the safety of those who live in our communities, and we ask that you reach out to your neighbours and loved ones – particularly those who are older and living alone - and offer to help them test their smoke alarms or help arrange a HFSV from their local fire crews.
“We all have a duty to look after one another so please do play your part in keeping communities safe.”
Fire crews from Darlington will continue to work in the area over the coming days to offer reassurance to neighbours and provide home fire safety advice.
For a free Home Fire Safety Visit for you or a loved one please call 0845 2234221 during office hours or via our website: Free Home Fire Safety Visit | County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service
