An elderly wheelchair user with multiple-sclerosis has died following a house fire.

Hilda Batten, 88, died the day after a blaze at her home in Swaby Road, Earlsfield, after being rescued from the smoke and flames by her neighbour.

It was the second blaze at her home caused by matches or cigarettes in the past six months.

Wandsworth Times:

Mark Williams, who had known her for more than three decades, was alerted to the fire on Tuesday, July 19 by Mrs Batten’s care worker, who heard the fire alarm when she came to check on her.

July 25: UPDATED: Woman who died after Swaby Road, Earlsfield kitchen fire named locally as Hilda Batten

Mr Williams used a spare key to get into the property, where he found a thick cloud of black smoke.

He said: “There was thick smoke all along the corridor.

“I went in and by the time you got to the end by the kitchen you could not see anything.

“First thing I did was told the care worker, who was hysterical, to open the doors because there was no air, there was no air to breathe.”

Mr Williams had to get fresh air himself before he could return to put the flames out and take Mrs Batten out of the house.

A neighbour had called the emergency services and two fire engines attended at about 9.15pm.

When they got out, Mr Williams said Mrs Batten “seemed fine” although in shock.

He said: “I put wet towels on her because there were serious burns.

“The fire brigade took over until the ambulance arrived.”

Mr Williams also had treatment for smoke inhalation but has recovered since the fire.

Mr Williams said Hilda was a very intelligent woman, who used to work in logistics and whose husband John, a police officer, died about three years ago.

Wandsworth Times:

Mrs Batten died after a fire in her home.

He said: “She was bubbly, intelligent, she had a good personality all round.”

Another neighbour described her as “strong-willed”.

Fire services had been called when she was said to have dropped a lit cigarette in January.

Mrs Batten was a wheelchair user who suffered from multiple sclerosis.

Mr Williams said she had been warned not to smoke but it had been her one pleasure in life.

One neighbour said the incident happened after Mrs Batten had “set herself alight with a match”.

The 26-year-old, who did not wish to be named, said: “My boyfriend saw it.

“The fire brigade came back and have installed extra fire alarms in our places. 

“They were quite comforting to her.”

Ian Leahair, Fire Brigade Union's executive council member for London, said: "Every death is a tragedy. It is essential that the London Fire Brigade undertakes as many home safety checks as possible in order to protect vulnerable people so that we can stop these tragedies from happening in the future.

"Our thoughts are with Hilda’s friends and family."

Hilda Batten died in hospital on Wednesday, July 20.