Rothwell flat fire: Man dies after Wood Drive fire which blew through windows of first floor flat

It happened at about 12.30pm on Monday, May 17 in Wood Drive Rothwell.

Police were contacted by the fire service who were at the scene.

A 74-year-old man was pronounced dead.

He was the only person living in the flat.

Police confirmed that there were no suspicious circumstances.

The Coroner’s Office has been informed.

One Wood Drive resident said: "First of all I heard a loud bang, then I heard a boom. I came out of the door and all I could see was smoke."

The resident, who did not want to be named, said she saw that the window of one of the upstairs flats had blown through.

She said: "It sounded like something had blown up."

She said another neighbour alerted emergency services and three fire engines along with police, an ambulance and the air ambulance arrived at the scene.

The air ambulance landed in a nearby field.

The neighbour said police asked around 10 residents living close to the scene of the fire to leave the flats for around three hours.

She added: "It was awful. There was a lot of thick, black smoke."

Another Wood Drive resident said she arrived home to see emergency services on Wood Drive.

She said: "I got home and the street was full of fire engines and police.

"The fire service told us to stay outside for a bit so they could ensure it was safe for us to return and that no smoke had gone into the flats."

The resident, who did not want to be identified, said she did not know the man who lived at the flat.

She said: "He kept himself to himself."

Full West Yorkshire Police statement:

"At 12:31pm yesterday (17/5) police were contacted by the fire service who were attending a fire at a flat in Wood Drive, Rothwell.

"A 74-year-old man, who was the sole occupant of the address, was pronounced dead at the scene.

"There were no suspicious circumstances and the Coroner’s Office has been informed."