Woman dies after fire breaks out at residential property in Shrewsbury town centre

A woman in her 80s has died, and another was injured after a fire at a residential property in Shrewsbury town centre during the early hours of this morning, Tuesday, 27 January.

Police say the family of the woman who died has been notified. Another person suffered injuries which were not deemed to be serious or life-threatening.

Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service Control received a call reporting the fire at 3.22 am at the historic timber-framed building known as Perches House in Windsor Place.

Ten fire appliances were mobilised to the scene, including specialist equipment such as the Aerial Ladder Platform and the Incident Command Unit. Crews from Baschurch, Shrewsbury, Telford Central, Tweedale, and Wellington are all currently engaged in the incident, supported by senior Operations and Safety officers.

A Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: "Crews were called to a serious house fire on Windsor Place just off Castle Street, Shrewsbury at 3.22 am today. Firefighters arrived within four minutes, and at the height of the incident, ten fire appliances were on scene. Two casualties have been reported.

"Nearby residents were evacuated while crews worked to bring the fire under control. The fire is now contained and our response is being scaled down. A joint fire investigation with police is now underway."

Police say that a critical incident was declared as emergency services worked together to tackle the fire and support evacuated residents.

Speaking on behalf of the multi-agency response, Superintendent Helen Kinrade for Shropshire said:

"Sadly one person has died in the fire which started in the early hours of this morning and our thoughts are with their loved ones at this tragic time.

"A multi-agency response has been established, led by our colleagues at Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service, to tackle the fire with Shropshire Council supporting local residents who have been evacuated.

"Surrounding roads have been closed and we would ask the public to avoid the area to allow emergency services to deal with the incident safely."

An emergency number has been set up by Shropshire Council for those who have not been able to make contact with relatives and friends who have evacuated as a result of the fire. If you are trying to reach a resident who may have been evacuated, please call 03456 789 029.

The fire is not currently being treated as suspicious but fire investigators at Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service will be carrying out an investigation into the exact cause of the fire.

Castle Street was closed to traffic and pedestrians while the incident was ongoing, with a cordon in place between the library and St Mary's Street. The road has since reopened.

Officers from West Mercia Police and paramedics from the West Midlands Ambulance Service were also in attendance to support the firefighting efforts and provide assistance.