Family members’ frantic efforts to save grandmother from house fire in vain

An inquest has heard how family members battled in vain to save a grandmother from a house fire.

Vera Bunn (84) died in a granny annexe of the family home in Weydike Bank, Fleet Fen, most probably as a result of her clothes catching light from a halogen heater.

The inquest at Boston Coroner’s Court today (Wednesday) heard that her chair was just 44cm from the appliance, so parts of her body would have been even closer.

Mrs Bunn, a heavy smoker, suffered with dementia and had been known to be careless with cigarette ends. It was said that she had had a cigarette just before the fire broke out.

In a statement read by assistant coroner Murray Spittal, Mrs Bunn’s son Michael (64 at the time) told how he was confronted by a fierce blaze and saw his mother engulfed in flames.

The tragedy happened on January 8 last year. Mrs Bunn had been taken to bingo by her daughter-in-law Dorothy Bunn but Vera had been unable to get out of the car so they returned home.

Vera was settled into her granny annexe, which adjoined the main house, and given a cup of tea.

The inquest heard that she always felt the cold and the heater was often on along with the main heating. Vera was still wearing heavy clothing and her coat when Dorothy returned to the main house.

Dorothy and Michael had just finished their drinks when the electricity went off.

Dorothy went into the kitchen and could smell smoke. She immediately called her husband.

In his statement, Michael said: “I opened the door into my mother’s lounge. I saw my mother was fully alight.”

He fetched a washing up bowl of water and threw it over her but it had no effect. He then broke a window and pushed a garden hose through, but again his efforts to douse the flames proved futile.

Other family members helped Michael before firefighters arrived, but there was nothing anybody could do. The inquest was told that Vera’s death would have been “rapid”.

Fire officer Peter Wiles’ statement said: “The findings of the investigation indicated that the most likely cause was either a carelessly discarded cigarette or the close proximity of the halogen heater.

“The products of combustion do contain a number of toxic gases and inhalation of these gasses would render the deceased unconscious after only a few breaths.”

Mr Spittal concluded that Vera’s death was the result of an accident.