A FOUR-YEAR-OLD boy with a fascination for fires started the blaze which killed both him and his mother.

An inquest heard that only the day before the tragic incident little Brandon Stoddard had been caught building what he called a bonfire in the garden of the family home in Lonsdale Street, Accrington.

And his grieving father told how on other occasions Brandon had been caught setting fire to rubbish bags, had set fire to a toilet roll in the bathroom sink and had lighters taken out of his pocket.

The fire he started on the landing of the family home on a Sunday morning in May claimed the lives of both Brandon and his mother Gaynor Stoddard, 30, who had five other children.

The inquest heard that they were trapped in the front bedroom of the terraced house after the "ferocious" blaze spread rapidly filling the house with thick acrid smoke.

Brandon's father, Brian, got two of his other children out of the house after he was alerted by his wife's screams. He then battled to get to his wife and Brandon, only to be beaten back by the intense heat and thick smoke.

Mr Stoddard broke down in tears as he told of his vain efforts to save Gaynor and Brandon. Assisted by neighbours he fought his way to the door of the bedroom using water soaked duvets and towels. His hands blistered as he pushed on the bedroom door and a neighbour shouted for him to come down and save himself.

Mr Stoddard eventually retreated as flames engulfed the upper floor of the house and threw a stone through the bedroom window to try and let the dense smoke out.

"I couldn't see any faces at the window," he sobbed.

Mr Stoddard told how he, Brandon and two other sons, Dean and Aaron, were downstairs at about 9.15am. Mr Stoddard went to the kitchen to make some breakfast and when he returned Brandon had gone. Mr Stoddard assumed he had gone upstairs to his mum and thought no more until he smelled smoke and then heard his wife's screams. Neighbours and passers-by who helped in the rescue attempt told how the fire spread rapidly and quickly became like a "blast furnace."

Assistant divisional officer Aidan Fortune said the seat of the fire had been on the landing where a roll of foam backed carpet had been stored prior to being laid. He said Brandon had shown an increasing tendency towards fire setting.

"The most likely source of the fire is the child Brandon experimenting with fire," said Mr Fortune. "As the fire developed beyond his control he would have gone to his mother and they both then became trapped in the bedroom where they were overcome by fumes."

Brandon died the same day as a result of smoke inhalation and Mrs Stoddard died three days later from multiple organ failure as a result of the inhalation of the hot products of combustion.

Recording verdicts of accidental death, coroner Michael Singleton said Brandon's actions had not been malicious but simply out of an interest in fires that he had developed.

He said that whatever attempts are made to reduce the risk of fire there would always be fires and fire detection then became of paramount importance.

"Had there been a smoke detector in this house it may have been that Brian Stoddard or his wife, Gaynor, may well have been alerted to the fire before it took hold," said Mr Singleton. "It may have been possible for Brandon and Mrs Stoddard to escape."

Mr Singleton said similar tragedies could only be prevented if the lesson is learned about smoke detectors. "People think they will become aware and will have time to make their escape," said Mr Singleton. "As we have seen, that is not always the case because the fire can spread so quickly and the smoke becomes so acrid."

He said everyone's heart went out to Mr Stoddard.

"You have endured everyone's worst nightmare and I do not know why it should be visited on you," he said.

Mr Singleton commended the neighbours and passers-by who, together with Mr Stoddard, made a heroic attempt to rescue Brandon and his mum and praised the fire service for their regular efforts on behalf of the community.