A pensioner who was rescued for the third time from her burning Southend home has lost her fight for life, it has been revealed.

The death of Mary Light has sparked renewed calls for people to install smoke alarms and prompted fire chiefs to give fresh warnings about the hazards of excessive drinking and smoking.

Mary, aged between 65 to 70, was engulfed by flames in her ground floor flat in Warrior Square, Southend, two days before smoke alarms were due to have been fitted.

She died after suffering severe burns and smoke inhalation in the blaze.

Her clothes were already on fire when help arrived. She was rushed to the burns unit at Broomfield Hospital, but died there two days later.

Station officer Andy Beale said: "She didn't have a smoke alarm, but the landlord was due to come to fit one in a couple of days.

"As a fire service in Essex we are trying to be a community fire station, but if someone doesn't want to accept assistance there is not a lot we can do."

He told how firefighters urged people to have smoke alarms and to make sure they were maintained.

Mr Beale added: "We also warn people of the dangers of smoking in bed, especially when they have been drinking."

Details of Mary's funeral have not yet been revealed. The coroner has been informed.

Published Monday January 14, 2002