Woman loses partner in fire 27 years after losing her two children and mum in blaze

A woman whose partner died in a house fire yesterday lost two children and her mother in a blaze 27 years ago.

Sharon Comiskey’s partner Eckhardt Morhulec died in the early hours when their home in Oakley went up in flames. She is in a critical condition in hospital.

Two of the couple’s sons aged four and one were killed in a house fire in the same village in 1992. Sharon’s mother, Teresa Law, also died at the Sir George Bruce Road blaze.

Sharon, who was then 23, ­discovered the fire in the kitchen and woke her mother, 43. She told her mum to go upstairs and rescue her four-year-old son Keirran.

Her mum’s body was found on the stairs where she fell. Keirran was discovered alive by rescuers but later died. Sharon escaped with her 17-month-old son Kerr but the child died later in hospital. Her partner, who is known as Eck and was 34 at the time, was at lodgings at Faslane Naval Base where he worked as a painter.

At the time Fire Brigade station officer Peter Traynor said it was one of the most difficult fires he had dealt with. He said: “It was one of the most severe fires I have seen. Obviously a smoke detector would have made a lot of difference.”

Tragically, Eck died last night in a fire at the home in the village he shared with Sharon. It is understood their son Jake, who was born in 1993, was not at the house in Thorn Tree Place.

Neighbour Ina Murray said: “Sharon lost two children and her mother in a fire so I can’t imagine how she’ll feel when she comes to and finds out Eck is gone. I’m just glad Jake wasn’t there because I heard he’s about to become a father. It would have been Eck’s first grandchild.”

Ms Murray said Eck was well-known and well-liked in the Fife town. She said: “No one had a bad word to say about Eck. He was one of those genuine guys everyone liked.

“Eck loved his fishing and he was well known in (local pub) The Greyhound. He used to go up on a Friday night with his friend, but he wasn’t a big drinker.

“I watched this man get carried out of that house this morning. It’s such a shock.”

The blaze broke out early yesterday and four fire engines raced to the house just before 6am.

A police spokesman said: “Police in Fife responded to reports of a fire at an address in Thorn Tree Place, Oakley at around 6am.

“As a result of this incident, one man sadly died and a woman has been taken to the Victoria Hospital in a critical condition.

“Inquiries are ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding this fire.”

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said: “We were alerted at 5.52am on Saturday to reports of a fire within a two-storey dwelling in Oakley, Fife. Operations control mobilised a number of resources to Thorn Tree Place.”

The spokesman added that firefighters left the scene at 12.37pm yesterday and the street reopened.