Woman dies following Christchurch house fire
An elderly woman has died after being caught in a blaze in the kitchen of her Dorset home.
The county's fire and rescue service was called to her house in Christchurch at about 20:00 BST on Tuesday.
Karen Adams, from Dorset Fire Service, said it is believed the fire began after a fault with an electrical appliance in the kitchen.
She said the woman, 82, was found in the kitchen and rescued from the property but later died in hospital.
"It is a distressing and emotional time for the family and for the fire service," she said.
"This is the first fire death the service has had since the beginning of the financial year and we hope it will be the last."
Ms Adams said the woman's fire detector had not been fitted correctly and the alarm may not have sounded.