A man in his 50s has been pronounced dead following a serious fire at a house in Douglas in Cork city.
Cork City Fire Brigade arrived on the scene at Douglas Road West at 3.20pm after the alarm was raised by a neighbour who saw smoke coming from the house and expressed concerned for the welfare of the man inside.
Cork City Council confirmed that three units of Cork City Fire Brigade and senior officers responded to the fire in a residential property.
Martin Coughlan, senior officer with Cork City Fire Brigade, said that crews forced their way into the house and found that the fire was contained to one room, where a man's body was present.
The man's body has been taken to Cork University Hospital where a post-mortem examination will be carried out.
Mr Coughlan said that the fire service did not observe any signs of foul play, but that the garda investigation would determine the cause of the fire and the cause of the man’s death.
He added that there was significant smoke damage to the home, but no nearby buildings were at risk of fire or gas damage as this was an isolated fire.
A garda investigation has begun, and the road is currently closed with local diversions in place.
People are being urged to use caution in the area as the area will be preserved by emergency services for some time.
