Couple tried to smash window to escape deadly fire at five-star hotel, inquiry told

A blaze at the five-star Cameron House Hotel in Scotland claimed the lives of Simon Midgley, 32, and his partner, Richard Dyson, 38, in December 2017.

A fatal accident inquiry into the blaze at the hotel on the banks of Loch Lomond, near Balloch, is being held at Paisley Sheriff Court.

Gary Love, a fire investigator, told the inquiry how he found evidence the couple had tried to escape from the blaze.

“I noted that a large picture frame was on its side directly below the window of the second floor landing,” the 57-year-old said, describing the area of the hotel where the men’s bodies were found.

He added that the “frame had been prised from the adjacent wall, most likely with the intention to be used to smash the window”.

The now retired investigator for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, told Crown Counsel Graeme Jessop that what they had been trying to break through had been a laminated double glazed window, which could not be opened, and had managed to break through only one pane.

Mr Love told the inquiry his investigation found the blaze had started in the concierge cupboard of the Grade B listed building, and inside they found evidence of a galvanised bucket, kindling, and a shovel.

He told the inquiry more than 75 per cent of the main building of the 128-room hotel had been “severely damaged” in the incident, and the fire had caused the majority of the roof to collapse.

Mr Love said his conclusion was the fire was accidental, and was most probably the cause of a careless act.

“Ashes have a low thermal conductivity, consequently, it’s not rare for individuals to believe ashes are dead while in reality hot or smouldering embers are still contained within,” he told the inquiry.

Earlier this week, Jane Midgley, from Pudsey in Leeds, told the inquiry her “gregarious” son Simon “had so much to live for” and the day before his death, he had told her “2018 was going to be our year”.

The inquiry was shown footage of night porter Christopher O’Malley filling a black plastic bag with ashes and putting it into the cupboard, which also stored kindling for the nearby fire.

Darren Robinson, the hotel’s night manager at the time, said it was clearly “a fire risk” and “it’s not something I would have done”.

But he did not know the ashes had been put there until he saw video footage, the inquiry was told.

Mr Robinson told the inquiry he picked up a fire extinguisher after the fire broke up but decided not use it because there “was no point”.

“It was too big and it was more important to get people out,” he said.

A member of the public attempted to put out the fire while Mr Robinson phone 999.

Mark Stewart QC, representing O’Malley, said his client was a “diligent employee” who took swift action to find the source of the fire.

He said there had been nothing to test the temperature of the ash to make sure it was cool enough.

O’Malley also told Mr Robinson that the ash bins were full and that the night manager had emailed other staff at the hotel requesting that the bins be emptied.

Hotel operator Cameron House Resort (Loch Lomond) Ltd was fined £500,000 last year, after admitting to breaches of fire safety rules, and O’Malley was given a community payback order at Dunbarton Sheriff Court.

The inquiry continues.