Woman may have tried to flee fire by hiding in shower

A woman who died in a small fire in a Whangamata bach yesterday may have tried to escape the smoke by hiding in a shower.

Irene Margaret Edwards, 59, from the Auckland suburb of Howick, was found dead by firefighters called to the bach in the Bay of Plenty town shortly before midday yesterday.

Firefighters and police ruled out any suspicious activity and said the fire may have been started by a cigarette although that could not be confirmed.

Detective Simon Everson from the Waihi police said the fire was very small and produced only smoke and no flames in the bedroom.

He said the woman may have realised the mattress was on fire and may have tried to hide in the shower to escape the smoke.

"She had moved from the bed to a shower cubicle. She would have been very quickly overcome by smoke."

He said the woman probably succumbed to the smoke in seconds.

No one else was in the house when the fire began.

Both police and firefighters say smoke alarms would probably have woken the woman and given her a few valuable and critical minutes to get out before she was overcome.

- NZPA