Pin
Get email alerts
Request correction
Investigation and inquest
On 27 November 2018 I commenced an investigation into the death of Tony Goodridge (aged 55 years). The investigation concluded at the end of the inquest on 27 March 2019.
The conclusion of the inquest was that: Mr Goodridge died in a fire at his home on 19 November 2018.
The medical cause of his death was: 1a inhalation of fire fumes and airway burns
I recorded a short-form conclusion that Mr Goodridge’s death was an accidental death.
Circumstances of the death
Mr Goodridge was the tenant of ████████. The landlord is the London Borough of Camden. He returned home to his flat around 2 am on 19 November 2018. At about 4 am a neighbour to the rear of the property noted that there was a fire in a 2nd floor flat on Brassy Road. Firefighters were called to the scene and identified that the fire was located in Mr Goodridge’s flat. They forced entry to the flat by removing the front door. Mr Goodridge was found unresponsive on the floor behind the front door to the flat. He was recovered from the property and attempts were made to resuscitate him initially by firefighters, then paramedics and ultimately a doctor from the HEMS service. He did not recover consciousness. His death was confirmed shortly after 5 am. The fire was investigated by the London Fire Brigade. It is evident that the fire was intense and caused extensive damage to the property including a partial collapse of the roof. The Fire Investigator’s view was that the fire started in Mr Goodridge’s bedroom. The likeliest cause of the fire related to smoking materials, incense sticks or an electric heater coming into contact with combustible materials. There was no smoke alarm in the property. The evidence from the fire service was that smoke alarms can alert occupiers to the existence of a fire earlier and therefore possibly improve their prospects of escaping from a property.
Coroner’s concerns
(1) Mr Goodridge did not have a smoke alarm in his property.
(2) The London Fire Brigade had some difficulty reaching the property due to parked vehicles in the vicinity.
Information checked against the published report and official responses