Lincolnshire Police
NEED TO KNOW
The young girl killed alongside her father in a fire at an RV park in England was awake when the fire started, a new inquest said on Tuesday, Dec. 9
The cause of the fire remains unknown
Authorities suspect an unattended cigarette or a phone malfunction caused the fire
A young girl killed alongside her father in a fire at an RV park in England in April was awake when the fire began, authorities said.
Coroner Lindsey Tasker opened the inquest into the deaths of Lee and Esme Baker on Tuesday, Dec. 9 at the Myles Cross Centre,Lincolnshire Livereports.
"Though the inquests are being held together, they are both separate inquests and each will have its own conclusion," Tasker said in court, per the outlet.
Tasker confirmed that authorities identified the bodies of Lee Baker, 48, and Esme Baker, 10, with dental records. A toxicology analysis conducted by Dr. Steven Morley reportedly found that Lee's blood alcohol levels were 172mg per 100ml of blood. The legal limit to drive in the U.K. is 80mg, per Lincolnshire Live.
Dr. Michael Biggs performed post-mortem exams for both father and daughter separately and found that both died from smoke inhalation. "Esme was sadly awake and breathing while exposed to a fire environment but she would have been rapidly overcome," Tasker added, the outlet reported.
The cause of the fire remains unknown, as much of the RV was destroyed in the blaze. Authorities suspect that a cigarette left unattended or a phone or tablet that malfunctioned could have started the deadly fire, but all contents were consumed by the flames, making the investigation difficult, according toThe Independent.
Simon Cartwright, the fire investigation officer for Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue, explained that the fire likely started in the rear of the RV.
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"Lee was known to smoke cigarettes," Cartwright said in the inquest, per the outlet. "There was no evidence of smoking materials found inside or outside the caravan, however, this could be due to the intensity of the fire."
On April 5, police and fire services responded to the blaze at Golden Beach Holiday Park in Skegness at 03:53 a.m. local time, theBBCreported.
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