Police appeal after fatal house fire in town centre

Bridgend County Borough Council has expressed its sympathies following a fatal fire which occurred in Bridgend town centre last night.

One person died after the house fire broke out around 9.15pm on Tuesday 30 March at premises in Nolton Street.

South Wales Fire and Rescue crews from Bridgend, Pencoed, Kenfig Hill and Cardiff attended to tackle the blaze, which caused significant damage to the privately-owned building and forced neighbouring properties to be evacuated.

South Wales Police have issued an appeal for witnesses, and have asked people who were in Nolton Street last night to contact them. Nolton Street remains closed to traffic, and a police cordon has been set up outside the premises.

Detective Chief Inspector Sarah Lewis, said: “This tragic incident is extremely distressing for the family involved who are being supported by us.

“Our examinations are continuing at the scene as we try to establish how the fire started. “There is nothing at this stage to suggest the fire was deliberate, however until our investigations are complete, we cannot rule anything out at this time.

“We are working as quickly as we can to establish the circumstances.”

Anybody who was in the area at the time is urged to contact 101 and to quote reference *110574

Councillor Richard Young, Cabinet Member for Communities, said: “We are deeply saddened to hear that someone died as a result of this tragic incident, and our thoughts are with the family and friends of the deceased.

“We will be supporting the police and emergency services as they continue to deal with this sad event, and urge anyone who was in the area at the time to contact the police.”