Woman killed in Wellington fire formally identified

Firefighters work on the house that caught fire on Woodhouse Avenue, Karori, Wellington. Photo / Mark Mitchell

An elderly Wellington woman who died in a house fire on Monday has been formally identified after a post mortem examination finished today.

She was 82-year-old Margaret Beverley Hall, known as Beverley.

"Forensic testing has enabled us to confirm Beverley's identity and give her family some closure,'' Detective Senior Sergeant Donna Howard said.

Although inquiries were continuing, the preliminary determination was that the fire was not suspicious and the matter had been referred to the coroner.

Fire ripped through the Karori house on Monday morning despite neighbours' frantic attempts to put it out.

Karori fire station officer Nic Bush on Monday praised the actions of locals who tried to enter the Woodhouse Ave property.

"Their efforts with garden hoses helped prevent the fire from spreading to a neighbouring house. The house itself was so well involved that it required firefighters with five fire hoses to douse the fire and search the building,'' he said.