Heckmondwike man dies in house fire caused by cigarette

May 7 2009 By Katie Campling

He worked part-time as a joiner until late 2008 and, before that, he worked as a coachbuilder until he was made redundant.

After stopping work in 2008, he started drinking more heavily, but remained fiercely independent.

Blood tests showed he had drunk the equivalent of six pints of beer at the time of his death.

Recording a verdict of accidental death, Coroner Mr Whittaker urged people to fit smoke alarms and make a fire escape plan.

He said: “The only good thing that may come out of such a tragedy is that other people may learn from such a misfortune.

“The main lesson is every house occupant should make plans for evacuation in case of fire.”

Investigator Mr Clark urged people to contact the fire service for a free home safety check or advice on freephone 0800 587 4536.

He added: “We really want to target vulnerable people, who may be elderly or disabled.

“If anybody is aware of people like this living nearby, if they let us know we have specialist teams who can help and advise them.”