A 10-year-old girl who died with her father in an RV fire at a holiday park in England was conscious when the blaze began, according to evidence presented at an inquest.
Coroner Lindsey Tasker formally opened the inquests into the deaths of Lee Baker and his daughter, Esme, on Tuesday, Dec. 9, at the Myles Cross Centre, Lincolnshire Live reported.
“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 the bodies of Lee Baker, 48, and Esme were identified using dental records. A toxicology report by Dr. Steven Morley found that Lee’s blood alcohol level was 172mg per 100ml of blood — more than double the U.K. legal driving limit of 80mg, according to Lincolnshire Live.
Dr. Michael Biggs conducted separate post-mortem examinations for father and daughter and concluded that both died from smoke inhalation. Tasker said Esme had been “awake and breathing while exposed to a fire environment,” but added that she would have been “rapidly overcome,” the outlet reported.
The exact cause of the fire remains undetermined because much of the RV was destroyed. Investigators believe it may have been sparked either by an unattended cigarette or a malfunctioning phone or tablet, but the contents were so badly burned that it has been difficult to reach a definitive conclusion, The Independent reported.
Simon Cartwright, a fire investigation officer with Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue, told the inquest that the blaze most likely started at the rear of the RV.
“Lee was known to smoke cigarettes,” Cartwright said, according to 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.”
Emergency services were called to the fire at Golden Beach Holiday Park in Skegness at 3:53 a.m. local time on April 5, the BBC reported.
