Accrington mum, 20, died in blaze 'started by discarded cigarette'

8:30am Friday 22nd May 2009

By Andrew Bellard

A GRIEVING family has urged people not to smoke before they go to bed after a 20-year-old bride-to-be died in a blaze.

Susan Bradshaw, mum to four-year-old Courtney-Leigh, lost her life in a ferocious fire at her home in Washington Street, Accrington.

Firefighters told her inquest they believed the blaze was caused by a ‘carelessly discarded’ cigarette she had in her living room when she got back from a night out.

The hearing was told Susan and her fiance Andrew Wilkinson woke later in their bed to find their home engulfed by flames.

The pair tried to escape together holding hands. Mr Wilkinson made it out, but he lost Susan in the thick, black smoke.

He bravely made six attempts to get back inside to rescue her. Firefighters had to use thermal imaging to find Susan’s body in a back bedroom.

Speaking after the inquest, stepdad Steve Jackson, whose birthday party Susan had been at hours earlier, said the blaze showed the importance of making sure cigarettes were properly put out.

He said: “If anything positive is to come from her death we would want it to be that people would not smoke before bed, especially after drinking.

“Susan was so young and was due to get married, but that has all been taken away because of a cigarette.

“The past three months have been very difficult for the whole family. Susan was such an outgoing person and her death has left a large gap in all of our lives.”

Bosses at Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service said as many as half of all blazes have alcohol as a contributing factor. And cigarettes are the biggest cause of fires in the home. Around one third, about three a month in East Lancashire, are caused by cigarettes.

Speaking after the hearing, Aidan Fortune, watch manager at Hyndburn Fire Station, said: “People become careless in dealing with fire hazards of smoking and cooking and are doubly at risk because when fires occur the alcohol affects their ability to hear and react to smoke alarms and escape.”

The inquest was told harrowing details of the blaze, which happened at 2am on February 8.

Despite having three working smoke alarms, neither Miss Bradshaw nor Mr Wilkinson were awoken when the blaze began.

Susan’s fiance told the hearing: “I was leading her by the hand but I let go. I was aware she was with me as I went round the bed and I thought she was with me when I went down the stairs. I couldn’t see because of the smoke.”

When he realised she was not with him, Mr Wilkinson tried six times to get back into the end-terrace house to rescue her, but was beaten back by the flames.

He said: “I got back into the bedroom but I couldn’t find her. I was shouting for her but I could not see or hear her.”

Firefighters were quickly on the scene and discovered Susan’s body in a back bedroom.

Watch manager Fortune told the inquest there had been a delay between the fire starting and the couple waking up.

He said the alcohol they had consumed could have played a part but revealed the concerns about the pitch of smoke alarms.

Mr Fortune said a national investigation was being carried out into whether young people in particular have a problem hearing the alarms.

Dr Mohammed Aslam, who carried out the post-mortem examination, gave the medical cause of death as asphyxia due to smoke inhalation.

Recording a verdict of accidental death coroner Michael Singleton paid tribute to the bravery of the firefighters who went into the burning building to try and save a life.

“That the outcome was so tragic does not take away the heroism that was displayed on that occasion,” said Mr Singleton.

On the day she died, Susan, a former Peel Park Primary and Hollins High School pupil, was due to start a new job as a carer.

She and Mr Wilkinson had been out for drinks at Sydney Street Working Men’s Club in Accrington, to celebrate her stepdad’s 57th birthday.