New Details Revealed About Death of Girl, 13, Who Was Burned While Sleeping on Her Bunk Bed

New information has surfaced about the death of 13-year-old Layla Allen, who was killed in a house fire in Prescot, Merseyside, in April 2025 — as investigators told an inquest they now believe the blaze may have been started intentionally.

According to reports from The Telegraph and Metro.co.uk, fire investigators said at the hearing that Layla appeared to make no attempt to escape as flames took hold in the bedding on her bunk bed. Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service investigator Ruth Baller-Wilson testified that Layla was likely asleep when the fire began. Layla’s parents and five siblings survived.

Investigators told the inquest it is likely a lighter was used to ignite Layla’s bedding, though the exact circumstances remain unclear.

“It’s difficult to determine the exact sequence of events; however, the burn pattern suggests this fire ignited on the bunk bed,” Baller-Wilson said, per Metro.co.uk. She said the fire started on the top bunk and “developed within the bedding before it spread to the mattress,” fueled by oxygen from an open window near the bed.

Baller-Wilson added that Layla was healthy and not physically trapped, making her lack of escape efforts notable. “Layla was a fit, healthy 13-year-old; she wasn’t trapped, and there was no reason why she wouldn’t have at least been able to get down from the bunk, even if it was on fire,” she said, according to Metro.co.uk. “Therefore, I believe it’s more likely she was asleep at the time.”

She also told the hearing that if Layla had started the fire herself, she would have expected the teen to attempt to flee. “If Layla did start the fire herself, there would be no reason why she wouldn’t escape the room,” Baller-Wilson said, per Metro.co.uk, adding that even if Layla’s clothing had ignited, she would still have expected an attempt at self-rescue.

According to Merseyside Police, the fire happened at a mid-terraced home in Kingsway, Prescot, on April 2, 2025, with emergency services called at about 11:42 p.m. local time. In an earlier release, police said firefighters found a blaze in a first-floor rear bedroom. The fire was extinguished by 12:30 a.m.

Coroner Anita Bhardwaj said authorities “cannot rule anything out” because, she noted, Layla’s parents have refused to allow police to interview the other children in the home — a decision she said has “prevented [police] from gathering further evidence.”

The inquest also heard that a separate fire had occurred at the same home about six months before Layla’s death. Investigators said another “member of the family” allegedly set fire to a different bed using a lighter.

“That was in one of the bedrooms at the front of the house. It was believed to be [caused by] a lighter,” Baller-Wilson said, per the outlets. She added the earlier incident caused significant damage and smoke at the front of the property.

Baller-Wilson told the hearing that officials offered to refer the family to SAFE (Safety Advice and Fire Education), but she said those interventions were declined by Layla’s mother and the earlier fire was “put down to a child playing with a lighter.”

Coroner Bhardwaj expressed concern over the repeated incidents, telling the hearing she was relieved social services were involved because, she said, “there are clearly highlighted issues,” according to the outlets.

Ultimately, the hearing concluded with an open verdict. Bhardwaj said she did not “have sufficient evidence to make findings of fact to reach any conclusion other than an open conclusion.”

“There are too many unanswered questions here. We don’t know what actually happened. We don’t know who started the actual fire,” she said, per The Telegraph.

She also urged the family to accept support from fire services going forward. “I cannot stress enough the importance of you as a family, for the children, to have the input of the fire services to give you guidance and support in keeping the children safe,” Bhardwaj said. “This is the second fire in similar circumstances within a very, very short period of time involving lighters, and this time the sad consequence was Layla’s death.”