Man dies in Bishop Auckland house fire
A 44-year-old man has died and two elderly people rescued from an attic fire at a house in County Durham.
The Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service received a call at about 01:00 BST from police at the property in Bishop Auckland.
Crews managed to put out the fire, but the man was pronounced dead.
A man and woman were evacuated from the house in Gurney Valley by police before fire crews arrived. The blaze is not believed to be suspicious, police said.
A joint investigation by Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service and Durham Police is under way to establish the cause.
A spokeswoman for the Durham force said: "The scene is currently cordoned off while the fire service, police and forensic experts examine the scene, although at this stage the blaze is not thought to be suspicious."