Smoking in bed and flammable materials factors in Christchurch garage fire death
Friday, 31 May 2019
Smoking in bed, sleeping in a single-entry garage and storing flammable materials in a living area all contributed to the death of a man trapped by a fire.
Steven Ian Cameron, 50, had been living in the garage of a property on Mackenzie Ave, Christchurch, when it went up in flames on April 11, 2017. Trapped inside, he was caught in the fire and flown to Auckland's Middlemore Hospital with critical burns.
The Timaru-born man, who had burns to 78 per cent of his body, died 15 days later.
Coroner David Robinson's findings, released on Friday, warn others of the dangers of using a garage for accommodation.
READ MORE: Christchurch father of six killed in garage fire
The garage Cameron had been sleeping in had only one entry and exit point – the large tilt garage door. A witness described seeing him run through a 'wall of fire' in order to escape through the only way out.
Attempts by neighbours to extinguish the fire were unsuccessful. The ceiling collapsed and gas canisters and other combustible items, including ammunition or black powder, began to explode.
The landlord was not aware the garage was being used as accommodation.
The cause of the fire was not known, but Cameron was a regular cannabis and occasional cannabis oil and methamphetamine user. A fire investigation found it was 'highly probable' he was smoking in or near the bed.
Smoking in bed was a well-known fire risk, the coroner said, and it was also dangerous to store flammable material near old couches and beds. Because of the gas canisters, the fire rapidly grew to being fully involved within two minutes.
Robinson said the death served as a warning against storing 'volatile organic compounds', such as petroleum-based substances, in an area intended for sleeping.
A delay in calling an ambulance was not considered to have contributed significantly to the outcome, despite Cameron having been moved to another property by friends and showered down after the fire.
The fire broke out at 9.35am and although the Fire Service was called, an ambulance was not called until 10.47am. The coroner found friends moved Cameron moved out of genuine concern, but it was 'ill-advised'.