Cause of fatal blaze still unknown, inquest hears

A farmhouse was "completely destroyed" by a fire which killed the elderly owner, an inquest has heard.

Fire crews were called to the home of Margaret Anne Cooper, 79, in the village of Meidrim, Carmarthenshire, shortly after midnight on 9 February 2024.

The coroner's officer said the fire could not be extinguished until the next day due to the ferocity of the flames, and the cause remained unknown.

Due to the condition of the building it was not possible to go to the house to retrieve Mrs Cooper's body until 21 February - 12 days after the fire.

Malcolm Thompson told the inquest both the roof and the second floor collapsed during the fire.

A detailed forensic report by Martin Crooks from Cellmark suggested that the fire started in the sitting room of the two-storey cottage, where Mrs Cooper's body was found.

It was not possible to determine the cause of the fire and there was no sign of a fire detector in the house before the incident.

It was also said that there was no latch on the wood burner door in the house.

Mr Crooks was unable to exclude the possibility that hot embers had escaped from the log burner but "was unable to determine the final cause of the fire".

According to Mr Thompson it was not possible to say whether Mrs Cooper "was awake or not" during the fire.

A post mortem at Glangwili Hospital concluded Mrs Cooper died from severe burns.

Coroner Paul Bennett determined that Mrs Cooper died as the result of a fire that had started accidentally.

He concluded that she died on the 9 February, 2024.

Mr Bennett extended his condolences to nephew Andrew Robinson, who joined the inquest online, on the family's "tragic and difficult loss".