Tragedy after retirement home inferno
An 83-year-old man has died and an 81-year-old woman has been rushed to hospital after an inferno at an Adelaide retirement village.
Police and fire crews arrived at the Crestview Retirement Village in Hillcrest in the city’s north to find a unit fully ablaze at around 10pm on Monday evening.
The woman managed to escape the blaze with just minor injuries but was taken to the Royal Adelaide Hospital for treatment.
But the elderly man died at the scene.
The residents of an adjoining unit were not at home during the time of the fire, but their property suffered “extensive damage” in the blaze.
Residents of the retirement village were evacuated, with one describing witnessing flames erupt from the unit.
“I came outside and the fire and flames were shocking, I couldn’t believe it,” resident Kay Hawkesworth told The Advertiser.
“Everybody was out of their units and worried sick about what was going on.”
It took 24 firefighters an hour to put out the fire and stop the blaze from spreading to a third unit.
Fire Cause Investigators attended the scene to assist with the investigation.
It is estimated the structural damage to the property to be about $250,000.
Police are preparing a report for the coroner.
The cause of the fire is currently undetermined, but deemed non-suspicious.
