KEY POINTS:
Police have named 18 year old Lachlan McLean of Oamaru as the man they believe died following a flat fire in the town early this morning.
Senior Sergeant Kevin Hooper of Oamaru police said the fire took hold at 5.20am in a flat above a shop on the corner of Thames and Eden Sts.
"Smoke detectors were fitted and alerted the occupants to the danger. Five of the six occupants managed to escape however a sixth person died in the fire."
The five who escaped were uninjured.
Police and fire safety officers are at the scene investigating the cause of the fire.
Police would report the findings of the investigation to the coroner.
- NZPA