Girl dies in suspicious unit fireplace at Bateau Bay on NSW Central Coast

A deadly home fireplace on the New South Wales Central Coast is being handled as suspicious by police.

Emergency service crews have been known as to a property on Melissa Close, at Bateau Bay, at about 9:30pm on Sunday.

The physique of a 77-year-old was discovered within the lounge room of the single-level unit.

Police mentioned preliminary inquiries indicated the lady suffered extreme burns and her reason behind demise can be decided by a autopsy examination.

Homicide squad known as in

Superintendent Chad Gillies mentioned the reason for the blaze was unknown and murder detectives had spent the day inspecting the scene.

“Tuggerah Lakes detectives, along with the assistance of State Crime Homicide Squad, have been stood up to investigate the circumstances around the death,” he mentioned.

Superintendent Gillies wouldn’t be drawn on a possible reason behind demise.

“I am not going to speculate publicly [on] what other information the crime scene may have revealed to investigators … however, by virtue of the nature of it, we are treating it as suspicious,” he mentioned.

Superintendent Gillies mentioned the lady’s demise was a tragedy.

“A 77-year-old female … dying inside her own unit through a fire in itself is tragic’ he said.

Superintendent Adam Dewberry from NSW Fire and Rescue said the circumstances were relatively uncommon.

“[But] it isn’t remarkable {that a} fireplace can ignite in a house, be pent up and actually burn out all of the oxygen and simply smoulder and self extinguish — that seems to have occurred right here,” he mentioned. 

“The house is closely charred with black sooty smoke in and across the partitions.”

Sniffer canine known as in

Investigators from NSW Fire and Rescue and forensic officers from NSW Police spent Monday working to establish how the fire started.

A specially-trained dog used by fire investigators to detect accelerants has been at the scene of the fire.

Fire authorities said part of the investigation would examine whether the unit had a smoke alarm.

Superintendent Dewberry said neighbours indicated the units were fitted with alarms but it was unclear whether it was working in the home at the time of the blaze. 

Police mentioned no prices had been laid in relation to the hearth and inquiries have been persevering with.