By Jenny Barwise

Last updated at 16:43, Wednesday, 06 March 2013

A community is in shock following the death of a housebound widow in a house fire.

Pensioner Marie Parker was inside her Church Road home at Seaton, Workington, when flames engulfed her house on Monday afternoon.

Despite firefighters’ attempts to rescue the 76-year-old, who had mobility problems, she was pronounced dead at the scene.

Fire chiefs are today continuing their investigations to determine the cause of the fire, but it is believed to have spread from the coal fire in the living room.

Neighbours have spoken of their horror as they watched the drama unfold on Monday afternoon.

They said that smoke was billowing out of the windows of Mrs Parker’s end-terrace home, which alerted a passer-by who called the fire service.

Four fire crews rushed to the scene to battle the blaze with firefighters carrying out an “exceptional job” in dangerous conditions to get to Mrs Parker.

But they were too late to save the former teacher at Workington’s Newlands Girls’ School.

Next-door neighbour Keith Ashbridge said that the smoke and heat coming from the house was so fierce that he was unable to get inside, so instead waited for the fire crews to arrive.

He added: “It is a shame that something like this has happened. She (Mrs Parker) had trouble walking and mostly stayed in the house.

“But although she couldn’t really walk, she was as sharp as a tack.”

It was around eight years ago that Mrs Parker developed mobility problems and in the last couple of years rarely left her home. Carers would call round three times a day.

Mrs Parker’s husband Stan had died around five years ago and the couple did not have any children. The pair used to be keen golfers and were members of Workington Golf Club.

Sandra Benson, 45, lives three doors down from Mrs Parker. She said: “I didn’t really know her because she didn’t really go out but I would see her when I walked past her living room.

“I heard all of the commotion when the fire crews came. It has come as such a shock.”

Station manager Bruce Wilson, of Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service, said that an investigation was ongoing, but it is believed the fire was started accidentally from materials used to light the coal fire in the living room.

“There was severe damage to the ground floor of the property and heavy smoke damage upstairs,” he said.

Fire crews were in the area yesterday morning carrying out home safety checks on neighbouring properties.

Anybody wishing to have a free home safety visit should call 0800 3584777.

First published at 16:39, Wednesday, 06 March 2013
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk