NEIGHBOURS have paid tribute to a "gentleman" who died following a house fire in Baildon.

The man, 70, who was named locally as Tony Burnley, died following a small fire in the kitchen of a house in Central Avenue in the early hours today.

Crews gave emergency first aid to Mr Burnley at the scene, but he later died.

A neighbour in the adjoining semi-detached house was alerted to the fire by their own smoke alarm and called the fire service.

A West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service spokesman said the cause of the blaze was not believed to be suspicious, and a detailed fire investigation was being carried out today.

Neighbours spoke of their shock at the blaze and described Mr Burnley as a "quiet man".

Carmela Nuttr, 73, said her smoke alarm was activated in the blaze, after smoke from the Mr Burnley's house seeped into her bedroom.

She said: “He was a good lad. He lived there on his own.

“It’s a shame. Our small bedroom was full of smoke as well.

“I said to my husband to call the fire brigade. I feel lucky that we were okay.

“I couldn’t sleep after it happened.”

Neighbour Marie Pollard said: “It is a shock to everybody. I am really, really sorry for his family.

“He was a good neighbour, you could not have met a nicer man. He was a gentleman.

“I have known him for about 40 years and I even knew him before I moved here.

“I have lived here for 35 years and he was here before me.

“He was a quiet man. The first thing I knew about the fire was at 6am, when there was a police car outside.”

One Central Avenue neighbour, who did not wish to be named, said Mr Burnley kept fish in a large pond in his back garden and would wait at the bus stop across the road from his home each morning to go to the shop to pick up a newspaper.

He said: “We could see his big fish pond in his back garden from our bedroom window.

“He kept himself to himself. I used to see him at the bus stop near his house to get his morning paper at the same time every day.

“We did not see much of him. He would not speak to you unless you spoke to him first.”

Marie Tordoff, also of Central Avenue, said she saw the emergency services attend the scene.

She said: “It was chaotic. I saw the police, fire engines and ambulance. I saw all of the blue flashing lights.

“I saw the ambulance trying to reverse back to get to the house.”

The fire service confirmed yesterday afternoon that a man had died.

Fire crews from Shipley, Bingley and Bradford, alongside police and the ambulance service, had attended the incident just before 2.30am today.

Chris Kirby, West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service’s area manager for fire safety, warned residents to carry out checks on smoke alarms in their own homes.

He said: “Fire crews did everything possible to save the 70-year-old gentleman and our deepest condolences go to his family at this particularly sad time.

“There was a small fire in the kitchen and a detailed fire investigation will continue today to ascertain the cause, however we do not believe it to be suspicious.

“This tragedy reminds us all of the importance of having smoke alarms in our homes which give an early warning of fire and time to safely escape your property.”

A police community support officer guarded the house this morning.

Councillor Debbie Davies (Con, Baildon) paid tribute to the victim and echoed Mr Kirby’s advice that residents should carry out regular checks on smoke alarms in their own homes.

She said: “It’s terribly sad. I did not know the man personally.

“We need to find out how it happened in terms of smoke alarms.

“We should all check our smoke alarms and that they are working.”

Cllr Mike Pollard (Con, Baildon) added: “It is a very tragic event.

“The precise circumstances are very much under investigation.

“The man was given CPR at the scene but regrettably it was not successful.”

More to follow.