Barrow man died in hospital from significant injuries after house fire

William Wilson sustained a number of injuries after a fire broke out at his home in Grosvenor Street in Barrow.

The 65-year-old, who had lived in the property for 20 years, jumped out of a window into the garden to escape the blaze, an inquest heard.

However the Barrovian sustained serious burns and lacerations to his abdomen and chest as well as smoke inhalation which required hospitalisation.

Cockermouth Coroner’s Court heard emergency services were called to reports of a major fire in the early hours of November 28.

PS Tom Barrow was one of the attending officers at the scene.

He told the court that preliminary findings of a joint police and fire investigation revealed the blaze began from a heating appliance in the living room which was situated near combustible materials leading to a fire.

Residents were evacuated from their homes in the early hours while fire crews controlled the blaze.

READ MORE: Residents evacuated after fire ravages Barrow home

The fire in Grosvenor Street (Image: Submitted)

PS Barrow said the fire was declared unsuspicious but there are still more investigations to be completed.

A forensic report for the fire investigation was completed by Phil Stannett from the Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service. He found that fire had developed from the ground up and the ceiling had completely collapsed throughout the property. There was also a smoke alarm working safely in the home at the time of the incident, the court heard.

Mr Wilson was taken to Furness General Hospital with numerous injuries including burns to his back and head, cuts on his chest and elbow and smoke inhalation. His condition was stable at the time of arrival.

However in hospital Mr Wilson suffered a cardiac arrest and was transferred to the intensive care unit at Mersey Regional Burn Centre at Whiston Hospital.

X-ray results confirmed severe smoke inhalation, the coroner was told, and Mr Wilson underwent surgery.

Despite some improvement Mr Wilson began to deteriorate and was reintubated on December 14 due to respiratory failure.

Doctors told the court that the skin graft had also begun to fail and Mr Wilson’s blood pressure was very low.

The coroner heard Mr Wilson was showing no signs of improvement and his family said their goodbyes before his death on December 23.

A cause of death was given as multiple system organ failure and 17 per cent total body surface area burns.

Mr Wilson’s family thanked the efforts of the hospital staff for treating him.

Coroner Margaret Taylor concluded an accidental death.