Fatal house fire started by child playing with lighter - inquest

A house fire which killed a mother-of-two was started by a child playing with a cigarette lighter, an inquest has found.

Chloe Doggett was staying at a house in Tonypandy, Rhondda Cynon Taf on 21 September 2021.

The 28-year-old tried to escape the blaze through a bedroom window but was trapped, and died in hospital three days later.

Assistant coroner Gaynor Kynaston concluded her death was an accident.

South Wales Police initially questioned Ms Doggett's boyfriend over the incident, but the criminal investigation was dropped after a child in the property admitted starting the fire.

In a statement read to Pontypridd Coroner's Court on Wednesday, Detective Constable Stacey Vincent, who interviewed the child, confirmed they had "described starting the fire and using a lighter".

Ms Vincent said she was also aware the child had told a family member they had set fire to a "teddy bear".

All the adults in the house were smokers, and the coroner was told numerous lighters and ashtrays were found throughout the property.

Fire safety manager Stephen Morgan told the court an investigation by the fire service into the cause of the fire found it had started in the children's bedroom, and was most probably caused by a naked flame being placed against a combustible material.

The court also heard there were no fire alarms or other fire safety equipment in the house, and those inside were unaware of the fire until members of the public told them they could see black smoke billowing from the top floor windows.

At the same time of the first call to the fire service at 16:37 BST, Ms Doggett and her boyfriend were in his bedroom on the top floor, and Ms Doggett was on a FaceTime call to her best friend, Phillipa Stevens.

Ms Stevens said in a statement that "Chloe was happy in herself", but then she heard what sounded like a woman shouting and then a man shouting "Chloe".

She said Ms Doggett got up from the bed, and appeared to move towards the door "with intensity", tossing her phone to the ground.

Ms Doggett's boyfriend told the court that after hearing the shouting he opened the bedroom door and instantly noticed smoke.

He said he saw a child in the room opposite which was being engulfed by flames, and said: "My natural instinct was to run through the fire and grab the child.

"I didn't realise Chloe was still in the bedroom until I got outside."

An off-duty firefighter and several other men joined him in trying to rescue Ms Doggett, but they were unable to get up the stairs due the black smoke covering the landing.

Attempts were made to break the bedroom window from the outside using a paint can, hammer and step-ladder, but they were unsuccessful.

Blood pattern analysis expert Penelope Griffiths said injuries to Ms Doggett's arms and body, and blood found on the window, bedroom door and wardrobe were consistent with her trying to break the window to escape.

Ms Doggett had managed to remove the secondary double-glazing unit, cutting herself in the process, before becoming unconscious from severe smoke inhalation.

Assistant coroner Gaynor Kynaston said: "I accept and find that the fire was started in bedroom two, and that the fire was started by a child playing with a cigarette lighter.

"Despite her attempts to escape the scene, Chloe was rendered unconscious by smoke inhalation.

Mrs Kynaston said: "It's quite obvious from the number of people in court that she was very well loved by you all, and will be greatly missed by you and her children.

"This is a tragic, tragic death and one that will stay with me."