Telford fire death investigation concludes 'non suspicious' cause
A man’s death in a fire in Telford was ‘non-suspicious’ and was probably caused by a cigarette, an investigation has confirmed.
The man, named as Billy Harris, was aged in his 50s.
He was found dead on Saturday morning after police and fire crews responded to a report of a fire at a residential property in the Hollinswood area of Telford & Wrekin. Mr Harris is understood to have lived in the flats in the large housing estate off Deercote.
Fire service group manager Lee Baker said: “Our thoughts are with the loved ones of the man who sadly died as a result of the fire in his home in Hollinswood.
“We carried out a fire investigation and believe a lit cigarette caused the incident.
“This is a tragically stark reminder to always take extra care with smoking materials.
“Ensure they are put out properly in an appropriate ashtray, don’t leave lit cigarettes unattended and avoid smoking while tired. It is also really important to have working smoke alarms in your property and to test them regularly.”
Mr Harris’s death has been reported to the officer of the Shropshire and Telford Coroner.
A spokesman for West Mercia Police said: “Detectives and fire investigators attended the address and following their investigation the death is being treated as non-suspicious.”
