Man, 44, dies in domestic fire

SMOKE inhalation is believed to have caused a man’s death in Dublin’s city centre over the weekend.

His death brought to 20 the number of people who have died in domestic fires this year more than half the total for all of 2004.

The 44-year-old was discovered after a fire at an apartment in Bride Street. The alarm was raised on Sunday at about 7pm.

Gardaí in Kevin Street are investigating.

The identity of the victim has not been released.

The fire is believed to have been caused when a cooker was left switched on. Slight damage was caused to the apartment.

Officers of the Garda Technical Bureau sealed off the area and a forensic examination was carried out.

Domestic fires claimed the lives of 39 people last year, the National Safety Council (NSC) reported recently.

In almost nine out of 10 fatal fires there was no working smoke alarm.

The single biggest cause identified was cigarettes (38%). Nearly three out of ten fires (29%) were suspected of being caused by chip pans, grill pans, or cookers. "The majority of fire deaths are as a result of smoke inhalation," said NSC acting chief executive Alan Richardson. "These could be prevented with a working smoke alarm."