By Mark Mackay and Alan Richardson

POLICE FORENSIC experts and fire investigators are hunting for the source of a fire that claimed the life of a Perth woman.

Emergency services were alerted to a fire in a single-storey, semi-detached house in Oakbank Road shortly after 6 am.

The fire brigade and police rushed to the scene, but found the body of a 65-year-old woman within a bedroom. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

There were no other occupants in the house at the time.

Police cordoned off the road, yet a green tarpaulin covering the bedroom window was the only outward sign of the tragedy that occurred within.

While the cause of the fire has yet to be established, early inquiries indicate that there are no suspicious circumstances.

The woman’s name will not be released until a formal identification has taken place.

However, neighbours yesterday talked of their experience of the tragedy.

Mr Atholl Donaldson said he had been awakened by the victim’s panicked neighbour, who phoned him to say she could smell smoke in her house.

“She said there was a terrible smell of smoke and she thought there was a fire,” he said. “I told her to phone the fire brigade.”

Mr Donaldson then left his house and crossed the road to the victim’s fire-stricken home, finding the fire brigade already there.

Police had already blocked the road and it was clear there was nothing to be done.

“I went in next door where the smell of smoke was awful and I opened the windows and attic to let smoke out,” he added.

“Going by the amount of smoke and the heat I had thought the fire may have started in the roof area, but I’m not sure.”

Mr Donaldson said he had lived on Oakbank Road for 30 years, with the victim already living in her house when he first arrived.

It is thought she was a widow with one daughter.

Another neighbour said, “She has lived there for as long as I can remember.

“She just kept herself to herself and didn’t bother anyone, especially since her husband died.”

Her next door neighbour was yesterday being comforted by her family.

She was too distraught to speak about the incident yesterday.

One member of her family said on her behalf, “She is very shocked and upset by what has happened.

“Our condolences go out to the family.”

ADO Keith McIntosh said that the fire service had three appliances attending the fire, two from Perth and another that fought its way through the snow from Auchterarder.

Assistant firemaster Jimmy Campbell expressed his regret at the death.

“We do believe that the occupant succumbed to the effects of the fire even before we arrived,” he said.

“Once again tragedy has struck those most vulnerable.

“We must work to stop fires happening in the first place.”

A report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal in Perth.