By PETER DOUGLAS
A CORONER’S report will be prepared after a woman, 74, was found deceased at the scene of a Menzies Creek house fire early Saturday, 16 January.
A newspaper delivery person first alerted authorities to smoke coming from the School Road property about 6am and promptly contacted triple-zero.
The nearby Menzies Creek CFA members were among the first on the scene, along with members of Belgrave Police and CFA crews from Clematis and Bayswater.
The brigades quickly extinguished the fire, though the house has extensive smoke damage.
Lilydale Crime Investigation Unit detective, Senior Constable John Fooks, was among those who attended the scene.
He told the Mail the sole occupant was likely overcome by smoke and could not be revived.
“Police and CFA forced entry into the home and discovered the deceased in the lounge room,” he said.
However, it’s believed the fire started on a mattress in the bedroom, which could have been smouldering for some time before catching alight.
Sen Const Fooks said while the cause of the fire is yet to be determined, he believed it would be put down as a tragic accident.
“It could be anything from an electric blanket, to smoking, to a lamp falling on a bed,” he said.
