Relatives of Blackpool pensioner who died in flat fire have still not been found

The scene following the fire in South Shore last month

Gordon Fielding, 75, died after his flat in Molyneux Drive in South Shore caught fire on Sunday, September 26, just after 10am.

Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS) attended the incident and Lancashire Police were also called out along with paramedics.

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After crews had tackled the fire, the body of Mr Fielding was discovered and a joint investigation was opened between police and fire officials.

A spokesman for LFRS said that while investigators were unable to find the exact cause of the fire, the incident has been recorded as accidental.

The findings have now been passed to the coroner’s office for an inquest next year, however police have not yet been able to find a next of kin or relative for Mr Fielding.

Residents battled to try and save Mr Fielding after alarms were raised.

One eyewitness, who raised the alarm and didn’t want to be named, said: “I was on my phone and all I could see was smoke coming from the window. I’m a care worker and I was on a visit seeing another resident so I ran to get them out of the flat. There was other people also trying to get others out as a lot of the residents in the flats are elderly.

A resident in Molyneux Drive, called Mark, told The Gazette that he had tried to save the man.

He said: “I smashed the front door and ran upstairs but I couldn’t get through the flat door as it was locked.

“A few others tried to help but we couldn’t get in to save him.”