Couple Died After Portable Gas Heater Fire Engulfed Their Home

An elderly couple died after a portable gas heater malfunctioned and a fire rapidly engulfed their home in Nelson, Caerphilly county.

Marlene Mumford, 84, and William Mumford, 90, died at their home in Heol Fawr on 12 December last year.

An inquest in Newport heard that the most likely cause of the fire was a mechanical or connection-related failure involving the portable gas heater and its gas cylinder.

Assistant coroner Sarah Le Fevre recorded both deaths as accidental, describing them as the result of an "unintended act with unforeseen circumstance."

Fire spread rapidly

The alarm was raised after a neighbour at the nearby Tyler's Arms noticed smoke and large flames coming from the property.

He and another man went towards the house and saw a gas canister explode near the front porch, with flames rising above the height of the building.

The intensity of the fire initially prevented emergency crews from entering the property.

Firefighters reported seeing thick, black smoke coming from the house as they tackled the blaze.

Marlene and William were later pronounced dead at the scene.

William may have tried to remove the cylinder

The inquest heard evidence about what may have happened inside the property as the fire developed.

Bridgend fire station commander Melvyn Robert Laidler said burn patterns and the position of the gas cylinder suggested William had been unable to close it and may have attempted to carry it out of the house.

The coroner said it was possible William had realised the fire was becoming uncontrollable and believed removing the cylinder was the best way to protect the home.

That attempt, however, appears to have contributed to the flames spreading through the property.

The coroner described the decision as "utterly understandably" made in an emergency situation.

Cause of death

A pathologist concluded that both Marlene and William died from exposure to combustion products from the fire.

The inquest heard that the fire itself was accidental and resulted from an uncontrolled release of gas caused by a mechanical or connection-related failure involving the portable heater and gas bottle.

There was no finding that the couple had deliberately caused the fire.

A tragic accident

The deaths of Marlene and William highlight how quickly a fault involving portable gas equipment can develop into a life-threatening emergency.

For the couple's family, however, the inquest has provided a clearer account of what happened on the night they died.

Marlene, 84, and William, 90, lost their lives after a sudden and devastating fire at the home they shared.

The coroner formally recorded both deaths as accidental.

A tragic chain of events turned an apparent attempt to deal with a dangerous situation into a fatal fire.