UK schoolgirl died in house fire started by cigarette lighter, inquest hears

UK schoolgirl Layla Allen did not appear to attempt to escape a housefire that killed her on April 2, last year. Photo / Facebook

An English schoolgirl died in a house fire thought to have been ignited by a cigarette lighter, an inquest has heard.

Thirteen-year-old Layla Allen died on April 2 last year after a major fire engulfed the property in the town of Prescot, according to the Daily Mail.

Allen’s parents and five siblings survived the late-night blaze, which was the second fire at the house in six months.

“It’s difficult to determine the exact sequence of events, however, the burn pattern suggests this fire ignited on the bunk bed,” Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service investigator Ruth Baller-Wilson told the court.

Investigators determined Allen was asleep at the time of the fire as it did not appear she made any attempt to escape.

“Layla was a fit, healthy 13-year-old, she wasn’t trapped, and there was no reason why she wouldn’t have at least been able to get down from the bunk, even if it was on fire,” Baller-Wilson said.

“If Layla did start the fire herself, there would be no reason why she wouldn’t escape the room.

“It’s possible that her clothes may have ignited, but I still would have expected her to get herself down from the bunk and attempt self-rescue.”

Evidence showed the fire started on the top bunk before spreading through the mattress supported by oxygen from an open bedside window, People reported.

Coroner Anita Bhardwaj said the other children in the house were unable to be interviewed by police about the fire, as the family reportedly indicated the interviews would retraumatise them.

The inquest also heard that another “member of the family” used a lighter to start a fire which engulfed another bed in the house just six months before Layla’s death.

Baller-Wilson said that fire caused “considerable damage, with smoke spreading to the front of the house”.

The family were reportedly referred to a fire safety education programme.

An open verdict was handed down, with Bhardwaj said she did not “have sufficient evidence to make findings of fact to reach any conclusion other than an open conclusion”.

“There are too many unanswered questions here. We don’t know what actually happened.

“We don’t know who started the actual fire.”

Bhardwaj expressed concern that the fatal blaze was the second fire within a few months, and said she was “glad that social services are involved, because there are clearly highlighted issues”.

“I cannot stress enough the importance of you as a family, for the children, to have the input of the fire services to give you guidance and support in keeping the children safe.”

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