By NAOMI LARKIN
A fire officer has sounded a warning about the winter chill, following the death of an 80-year-old woman when her Mt Eden flat caught fire yesterday.
Detective Sergeant Mark Kaveney said firefighters were called by a neighbour of the woman to the flat in Shackleton Rd shortly before 8 am.
The woman was the sole occupant of the two-storey flat.
"The fire seems to have been contained in the bedroom where the lady was. There is only smoke damage in the rest of the building."
He said the main bedroom and the top bathroom and toilet area received smoke and fire damage.
Neighbours told police they had not seen the woman for a couple of days.
Others said she kept to herself but frequently went on walks around the neighbourhood picking up rubbish.
Ian Braggins, chief fire safety officer for the Auckland region, said officers had yet to determine the cause of the blaze.
He warned that during cold snaps people needed to take extra care with heating.
"It's the start of a cold spell and, historically, as soon as New Zealand gets a cold snap we get these deaths by fire as people start pulling out heaters, electric blankets and candles.
"These are the danger times as people fail to take good practical measures."
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