Police name victim of Shrewsbury static caravan fire
Wednesday 13th April 2011, 11:21AM BST.
An elderly woman who died after her static caravan caught fire at a holiday park near Shrewsbury was today named by police.
Vilma Eunice Kewell, 80, was in the caravan at Beaconsfield Caravan Park, Upper Battlefield, when the blaze started on Saturday night.
She lived near Canterbury in Kent.
The formal identification of the woman came as a brave Shropshire man today told how he risked his own life to rip open the doors of the caravan to pull out Ms Kewell, who was inside.
Despite flames leaping 10ft in the air from the static caravan, Neville Cousins managed to break open its locked doors to try and rescue its owner.
Mr Cousins, 68, crawled into the caravan to pull out Ms Kewell and with a friend managed to lay her down on some nearby decking.
Unfortunately nothing could be done to save the pensioner, who had already died in the blaze which started at about 9.50pm on Saturday.
Mr Cousins said he did not know Ms Kewell but said he had said ‘hello’ to her on a number of occasions at the park.
He said she had been staying there for some time and that everyone on the park had been left shocked by her death.
Mr Cousins said: “Myself and my wife Paula were in our caravan and we had friends round who were just about to go.
“I walked out of my caravan and looked across and saw flames about 10ft in the air.
“By the time I got there it was pretty much an inferno already. The doors to the caravan were locked from the inside but I managed to break them open.
“I shouted for her and there was flames and I could see her. I took a step inside and pulled her out and that was it.”
An investigation is currently under way involving West Mercia Police and Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service, although the incident is not being treated as suspicious.
A post mortem has been carried out and an inquest is due to open this week.
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