Cigarette discarded in commode started fatal house fire

Firefighters have issued a warning about discarded cigarettes after Kenneth Allen's inquest

An elderly man was killed in a house fire started by a cigarette discarded in his commode, an inquest has heard.

Former coal miner Kenneth Allen, 88, died after suffering severe burns in a blaze at his home in Prior Close, in Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire.

A coroner concluded the fire started accidentally but spread rapidly.

Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue has since issued a warning to smokers over the disposal of counterfeit cigarettes, which do not have a safety feature.

The fire - which took place on 16 December last year - started in Mr Allen's living room, near an armchair where he would often sit.

An inquest on Tuesday heard the fire began when toilet paper in his commode ignited.

The hearing was told Mr Allen had heart and lung disease that made him frail and would have made it hard for him to get out of his house when the fire took hold.

A report by Nottingham assistant coroner Dr Elizabeth Didcock said the cigarette was non-reduced ignition propensity (RIP).

That meant it did not have a legally-required safety feature and contained paper with special bands down its length so that, once lit, it would go out if not actively smoked.

Safety warning

Dr Didcock said: "I wish to extend my condolences to the family of Kenneth Allen on their sad loss.

"I would like to warn people of the dangers of non-RIP counterfeit cigarettes as people are most likely unaware that these cigarettes are not burning in the way they would expect.

"Without the inbuilt safety features of legally manufactured cigarettes, it means that if these non-RIP cigarettes are not extinguished properly, or are discarded inappropriately, accidental fires can occur more easily."

After the inquest, the fire service said non-RIP counterfeit cigarettes looked identical in the packaging and the cigarette to the legal versions but were usually cheaper.

Tests using a similar commode and the same non-RIP cigarettes Mr Allen smoked, showed a fire rapidly develop within four minutes.

Fire investigation officer Tim Marston said: "It is regrettably another example of an incident where smoking materials have resulted in a fatal fire.

"I urge everyone who smokes, or who cares for an elderly person who smokes, to review how cigarettes are managed and disposed of."