A 61-year-old woman has died following a house fire in Lisburn early today.
The Fire & Rescue Service said the cause of the blaze is believed to be accidental - the third such death in the last eight days across Northern Ireland, with all of the victims aged over 60.
A 74-year-old man died in hospital on April 28 following a fire at his home in Newtownbutler while two days later, a 78-year-old man lost his life after a blaze at his home at Forkhill Road, Cloughoge, Newry.
Two fire appliances attended the fire in Meadow Crescent in Lisburn at around 6am today but the woman was confirmed dead at the scene.
Assistant Chief Fire & Rescue Officer Paddy Gallagher extended his sympathies to the families and friends of all three recent victims of accidental house fires.
“With Covid restrictions still in place preventing household visits, it’s more important than ever that we check in with our older family and friends and consider their fire safety," he said.
"This can be done safely via telephone, virtually or by calling outside their home or garden at a safe distance. Talk to them about their fire safety and remind them of the importance of testing their smoke alarm once a week, having a bed time fire safety routine, a fire escape plan and what they should do in an emergency."
During 2020/21 there were 761 accidental fires in the home and eight fatalities, compared to 782 fires and three deaths during the previous year.
