Woman dies in Gore fire
January 28th, 2008, 3:09 am Hobbies News
Neighbours were alerted to the blaze by screaming and shouting from party-goers at the house.
Emergency services were called to the century-old wooden villa in Redmond St about 2am.
Detective Sergeant Cynthia Fairley said attempts to rescue the woman by occupants of the house failed after they were overcome by smoke.
Firefighters spent about an hour and a half fighting the blaze and another three hours dampening down hotspots.
ESR experts from Christchurch and Auckland were yesterday combing the scene for clues as to the cause of the fire, details of which are expected to be released later today.
Early indications are the fire was not suspicious.
Ms Fairley said the womans name would be released once next of kin had been notified.
An autopsy was completed late yesterday afternoon.
The death has rocked the close-knit community of Gore, with those who knew the woman describing her as a %26quot;lovely, caring girl%26quot; who was in the prime of her life.
%26quot;Its a devil to think such a young soul has been taken so soon,%26quot; neighbour Alan Green said.
The Southland Times has been told the woman worked at a cafe in Gore.
She had been at a party at the property but had gone to bed in a room at the front of the house about 1.30am while her friends remained on a veranda at the back, the mother of a friend of the deceased said.
Twenty minutes later onlookers were watching in horror as fire engulfed the home.
%26quot;By the time we rung the fire brigade, got into our dressing gowns and stood outside waiting for the fire brigade to turn up, the house was gone,%26quot; Shelley Nicholson said.
Another neighbour said he turned his garden hose on the fire in a desperate bid to save part of the house but it was to little effect.
A friend of the dead woman was yesterday too upset to speak about the fire, only to say she would remember her as a %26quot;fun, loving chick%26quot; .
%26quot;We had such a good night with her last night … at least Ive got a good way to remember her,%26quot; she said.
Ms Fairley said the occupants of the house had not had any problems with the wiring of the home before the fire.
It is understood the house was fitted with a smoke alarm at the time of the fire.
The owners of the house are understood to be distraught by the womans death.
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