Sylvia Townsend, a 94-year-old woman, died in a house fire at her home in Hardwicke, near Gloucester, early Sunday morning. Firefighters attempted resuscitation after carrying her out of the burning bungalow on a blanket. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Gloucestershire Police were called to the address around 4 a.m. Sunday. A neighbour reported being woken by his dog barking and saw smoke and flames emanating from the property. Fire engines were already present when he looked outside.
Mrs. Townsend, a widow and mother of two, reportedly lived with her 63-year-old daughter, Laura, who is believed to have escaped the blaze. The neighbour who called 999 before the one he alerted noted firefighters carrying Mrs. Townsend out and performing CPR. He provided a camping chair for her daughter while they waited for an ambulance. The daughter was taken to the hospital and appeared to be in a state of shock.
Neighbors described Mrs. Townsend as a lovely lady who had been a widow since her husband, Alf, died in 2024. She had reportedly been confined to her home after suffering a recent stroke and had carers visit a couple of times a day. She was a member of the congregation at St James Church in Quedgeley.
On Sunday, police arrested a woman in her 60s, from Gloucester, on suspicion of murder and arson with intent to endanger life. In an update on Monday morning, the force stated that the woman had been released on police bail pending further inquiries. Officers have completed their searches at the scene, and the cordon has since been removed. The son of Mrs. Townsend, Jeremy Ramstedt, 64, stated that the family was too shocked to comment at this early stage.