Householders urged to check alarm batteries after man dies in blaze
Richard Ball, 53, died when fire, though to have been caused by a faulty fridge, tore through his detached bungalow on Treelands, in Gawber, Barnsley, in May last year.
An inquest into his death last week heard that fire service investigators also found a smoke alarm inside the property that it had not been fitted to the ceiling.
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Hide AdSouth Yorkshire Coroner Christopher Dorries, recording a narrative verdict, said: “Unfortunately, whilst there was a smoke alarm present within the property it was not appropriately fitted to a ceiling and would not have given Mr Ball early warning of the smoke and fire gasses.”
The coroner added: “It is likely that he would have had sufficient time to escape in the circumstances had the alarm been properly fitted and working.”
South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue’s Mick Mason said: “This tragic incident is the clearest possible evidence as to why people should make sure their homes are fitted with working smoke alarms and test them regularly.”