On Friday 12th June a fire tore through a house in Villamartin, Orihuela Costa.
The fire began at 8.40am and was first noticed by a pool maintenance worker who heard an explosion and also heard the occupant, a female of German origin aged around 75 years, scream for help.
The lady lived alone in the property and is believed to suffer from Diogenes Syndrome, which causes sufferers to hoard items and neglect both themselves and their homes.
3 firefighting crews from Torrevieja, along with 2 all-terrain vehicles, 2 ambulances, the Guardia Civil from Pilar de la Horadada and the Orihuela Local Police attended.
The firefighters had to enter the property through a balcony as the front door was inaccessible due to the amount of items in the house.
The flames spread quickly through the house due to the amount of rubbish inside and the property has been completely burnt out.
Warning, this video shows graphic images which some people may find upsetting.
One of the woman´s dogs died at the scene, the woman herself suffered serious injuries and also tragically died.
The ambulance service also treated a police officer at the scene who sustained a finger injury and a firefighter was taken to hospital after fainting and feeling unwell because of the heat of the blaze.
