Pensioner in his 70s dies in horror inferno ‘sparked by e-scooter’ inside charred home in leafy Manchester suburb
A PENSIONER in his 70s has died in a horror inferno reportedly sparked by an e-scooter inside his home.
The fire broke out at a home in the leafy south Manchester suburb of Chorlton in the early hours of this morning.
Several people called 999 just after 3am, when smoke started billowing from the semi-detached house.
Five fire engines scrambled to the "significant, well-developed fire", which spread through the ground floor and first floor of the house.
Firefighters put on breathing kit to search the property - using a number of hoses to put out the fire.
Sadly, the body of a man in his seventies was found inside the home.
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A man in his thirties had managed to rescue himself from the property before they arrived.
He was treated by firefighters and paramedics before he was taken to Wythenshawe Hospital.
The fire was finally put just after 7am this morning - four hours after the fire service was first called.
Cops are now probing the fire and have put up a cordon on the suburban street.
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Forensic officers have also been spotted carrying out investigation work all day.
Snaps show how the fire has gutted the front of the property, blowing out the top floor windows.
The Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said the fire is "believed to have involved an e-scooter".
A neighbour said: "We were woken up by someone running up and down the road shouting 'ah, ah.'
"We were worried in case it was a riot - we didn’t want to turn the light on to alert them to our house
"We get quite a lot of burglaries round here and people coming down here drunk who’ve been drinking in Chorlton.
"We thought someone had been stabbed or maybe a burglar had got injured or caught in someone’s garden."
She added: "We didn’t realise what was happening until we saw the blue lights.
"We were watching horrified wondering if it would go to the next house."
Local GMFRS chief Ben Levy said: "First and foremost, our thoughts are with the family and friends of the man who has very sadly died during this devastating incident.
"Crews remain in attendance on Ellesmere Road South and are there for anyone in the community affected by the fire and to provide reassurance.
"I would like to commend the firefighters who did all they could in very difficult conditions in an attempt to save lives and stop the fire spreading further.
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"They worked tirelessly to minimise the impact of this fire for surrounding residents.
He added: "At this stage we cannot confirm the exact cause of the fire"