90-year-old woman in critical condition after Dublin house fire

A 90-year-old woman remains in a critical condition at Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown following a fatal house fire in Stoneybatter on Sunday evening.

The woman, named locally as Mary O’Brien, was rushed to hospital following a blaze which claimed the life of a 53-year-old man who has not yet been identified. It is believed that the man was also resident in the house, and acted as a live-in carer for the hospitalised woman.

Investigations into the fire, which broke out at a single-storey house on Sigurd Road at abound 6.25pm on Sunday evening, remain ongoing according to gardaí.

The cause of the fire has not yet been established, and although it is “not necessarily being treated as suspicious” gardaí are assessing all avenues of inquiry.

Speaking yesterday, local Labour Party TD Joe Costello expressed his concern for older people who may be vulnerable to such risks.

“The death of a man and the hospitalisation of an elderly woman after a house fire in Sigurd Road, Stoneybatter is a terrible tragedy. Both were well known in the local close-knit community,” he said.

“The tragedy raises issues of home safety and how easily a fire can get out of control and cause incalculable damage and harm.

“Elderly people, in particular, who need to keep warm, should take every precaution in relation to fires in their homes. Likewise, local people should be constantly on the alert and watch out for their frail and vulnerable neighbours.”