Woman and cat found dead after Chatham house fire

A woman has died after house in Chatham on Monday evening (June 10). Crews from Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) were called to the scene at a residential address in Sharon Crescent, Walderslade at around 5.30pm.

Four fire engines attended to tackle the blaze, alongside South East Coast Ambulance Service crews and officers from Kent Police. Firefighters used high pressure hose reel jets to extinguish the fire which had taken hold of the home.

In an update on Tuesday morning, a KFRS spokesperson said: “Sadly a woman was pronounced dead at the scene. A cat was also found deceased.”

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Crews extinguished the fire and left the scene shortly after 6.30pm. It has been confirmed that the cause of the fire has been linked to smoking materials.

A spokesperson for Kent Police added: "Kent Police was called at by South East Coast Ambulance Service at 5.39pm on Monday 10 June 2024 to be notified of a house fire and a person found deceased inside the property in Sharon Close, Chatham. Officers attended and the victim’s next of kin were informed. The death is not being treated as suspicious. A report will be prepared for the coroner."

Kent Fire and Rescue Service reports that more people die in fires started through smoking than any other cause. Tobacco burns at a very high temperature and is designed to stay lit, meaning it can very quickly cause a fire.

KFRS has issued the following fire safety advice for smokers:

• If you need to lie down, don't light up. You could easily doze off and set your bed or sofa on fire.

• Don't leave lit cigarettes, cigars or pipes unattended - they can easily overbalance as they burn down, land on a carpet or newspaper and start a fire. When you put it out, make sure it really is out.

• Every year children die after starting fires with cigarettes, matches and lighters which they shouldn't have been touching. Where possible, buy child-resistant lighters and matchboxes.

• Only use a proper, heavy ashtray which can't tip over easily and is made of a material that won't burn. It's a good idea to put ashtrays outdoors before you go to bed.

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