Cigarette caused house fire that led to woman’s death

Palmerston North woman Heather Mary Satterthwaite died trying to escape a house fire she probably started with a cigarette, the coroner's court was told yesterday.

Mrs Satterthwaite, 63, was found dead in the living room of her Tabak Crescent home on October 3 last year. Investigators found soot and fire residue on her hands and feet, and marks on the hallway walls.

The bedroom of the house was extensively damaged by fire.

Detective Nigel Withell told coroner Graeme Hubbard the fire had started in the bedroom, on the side of the bed Mrs Satterthwaite slept. She was a heavy drinker, and was known to smoke in bed, the court was told.

Burns to her body indicated she had been in bed when the fire started, and had tried to escape the blaze.

She made it no further than the living room.

Emergency service workers had tried to revive Mrs Satterthwaite at the scene, but were unsuccessful, he said.

Police had ruled out faulty electrics as a cause of the fire, and there were no signs of a break-in. It was likely the fire had been caused by a cigarette, Mr Withell said.

A post-mortem examination showed Mrs Satterthwaite died of carbon monoxide poisoning, after a blood sample showed a carbon monoxide level of 53 per cent carbon. A level higher than 50 per cent is considered life threatening, the court was told.

Mr Hubbard ruled Mrs Satterthwaite died of carbon monoxide poisoning as a result of the fire.

- nzpa