Newspapers may have fuelled fire

23 September 2006 06:45

A fire which claimed the life of an elderly widow may have been fuelled by piles of old newspapers hoarded inside the house, a coroner's inquest heard yesterday.

Daphne Williamson, 69, died of smoke inhalation when the blaze engulfed her home at Newton Road, Hainford, near Norwich, at about 1.30pm on February 8. Neighbours had alerted the fire service after seeing flames explode through a side window.

Investigators believe Mrs Williamson died before the fire reached its peak.

She was found in the downstairs kitchen surrounded by debris and it is believed she was upstairs when the fire started and fell through the floor when it collapsed.

It took more than 35 firefighters several hours to tackle the blaze in the detached property located at the bottom of a long private lane.

The inquest at Norwich Magistrates' Court heard that it was not clear what started the fire. Det Sgt Paul Morton said: “There was no evidence of fowl play or criminal activity.

“Mrs Williamson was last seen alive earlier that morning and told a neighbour she had an optometrist appointment later that day.”

After the fire her dog complete with collar and lead was found inside her car along with a set of keys suggesting Mrs Williamson had been on her way to this appointment.

A report from a forensic scientist stated that it was impossible to identify where the fire started or why. Fire investigator station officer David Kennedy said a large number of newspapers dating as far back as 1985 were found in the burnt out house and these would have been highly combustible.

Assistant coroner Penny Jewks recorded a verdict of accidental death. She said: “This fire destroyed most of the building and its roof.

“It could have been caused by the log burning open fire, by the cooker in the kitchen or by the electric system. The large quantity of combustible material may have contributed to this tragic accident.”

Mrs Williamson had a daughter and stepchildren who lived locally. Her husband John had died some years earlier. She had lived in the house for more than 30 years and the house had been in the family long before that.

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