Man dies in Cork house fire that gardaí believe started accidentally

Gardaí are satisfied that a house fire that claimed the life of a 71-year-old man in Cork city was not suspicious but started accidentally.
The man, who lived alone, was pronounced dead at the scene of the fire at a bungalow on Grange Road near Douglas on Cork’s southside.
Cork City Fire Brigade received a call at about 10.30am on Wednesday and three units attended at the scene where they found the house inundated with smoke.
Fire Officers believe the fire may have been smouldering for some time before the alarm was raised, as the rooms were filled with dense smoke on their arrival.
Firefighters using breathing apparatus entered the bungalow where they found the body of the elderly resident. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The man’s body was removed to Cork University Hospital for a postmortem examination that gardaí hope will establish the cause of the man’s death.
A garda technical team examined the scene and gardaí are satisfied that there was no foul play involved and the fire was started accidentally.
A garda spokesman confirmed gardaí had notified the coroner of the death and they would now begin preparing a file for an inquest at the coroner’s court.