Victims of fatal city fire named

FATAL: The scene of Monday's tragic fire at Castlecliff.

Police have released the names of the two women who died following a fire in their Castlecliff home.

They were Gail Edwards, 68, and Ineke Wessel, 72.

Emergency services were called to Golf Vue Place just before 6pm on Monday, where they found the women unconscious in different parts of the house.

Firefighters pulled the women from the house and resuscitated them in the driveway before they were taken to hospital. Ms Edwards died later that night, and Ms Wessel on Tuesday night.

A service for the couple will be held at Forrest Lawn Chapel in Wanganui tomorrow, followed by a private cremation.

Real estate agent Sue Ellis said the women built the home in Golf Vue Place in 2008, after selling their house in College St.

"They liked the area as it was quiet and peaceful and they could walk to the beach," Ms Ellis said. Ms Edwards and Ms Wessel, who was originally from the Netherlands, were nice people and lived a simple life, she said.

"They were a little reclusive but, once you got to know them, they were happy souls."

Ms Ellis said she was "sad and upset" and her thoughts were with the extended families of both women.

The investigation into the cause of the fire was continuing yesterday.

Wanganui fire service Area Commander Bernie Rush said there were smoke alarms in the house, without working batteries.

The family of a woman killed in a house fire in 2012 have made a plea for Wanganui residents to check their smoke alarms following the Castlecliff fire.

Ellen Newland died on December 11 two years ago, after an electrical fault started a fire in her Durie Hill home.

On the anniversary of Ms Newland's death, parents Ngaire Ellwood and Dave Newland donated $2000 to the Wanganui fire service to go towards installing free smoke alarms in homes.

"The fire service do a wonderful job of installing these alarms, and we are saddened to read that another fatal fire has occurred in our community and that their smoke alarm was not working," the couple said yesterday.