Darlington dad and daughter died in Woodland Terrace house fire

A fire chief told the inquest yesterday that the pair's hoarding and their untidy lifestyle must have been a factor in how the fire spread so quickly.

Philip Cheesman, 79, and his daughter Loraine Cheesman, 54, died in the "fierce" fire at their home in Woodland Terrace in the early hours of May 13, 2023.

The pair, who both lived with mobility issues and received social care, were caught up in the blaze just before 5am. They could not be saved, despite the best efforts of emergency services and terrified residents who tried to force their way into the home.

The home on Woodland Terrace. (Image: GAVIN HAVERY) Mr Cheesman, a retired taxi driver, was pulled from the front room of the home with torso and leg burns and given CPR but sadly passed away hours later at Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary.

Cyprus-born and former seamstress Ms Cheesman, who had a history of arthritis, diabetes and osteoporosis was found dead in her first floor bedroom.

Nearly two years on, an inquest into their deaths at Crook Coroner's Court yesterday (April 2) has now revealed that the pair were known to the fire service as being at high risk of a fire due to their "cluttered" hoarder home.

The court heard that Mr Cheesman, described as an "old fashioned gentleman", took over caring for his daughter Loraine, who used a wheelchair, after his wife's sudden death in 1995.

A formerly "active" man who enjoyed walking his dogs, Mr Cheesman was a heavy smoker whose untidy home was said to have worsened over the years, resulting in concerns about living conditions, fire safety, and more.

Lee Aspery, Fire Investigation manager for CDDFRS, told the court an investigation found the the blaze started in front ground floor living room and then “punched a hole in the ceiling” and spread upstairs. 

He told the court: "In terms of damage, I could see straight away that it was a very intense, very fierce fire.

"As my colleagues rounded the corner of Woodland Terrace he saw the reflection of the fire on the windows opposite."

Mr Aspery then went on to confirm that the pair's hoarding "must" have been a factor in how the blaze, that reached temperatures of 990C spread - and even impeded Loraine's rescue.

He added: “During the rescue of Loraine, we had to force the door out of its frame. We couldn’t get in. We moved the debris to release her. 

The home on Woodland Terrace. (Image: Northern Echo) “One of the things I was made aware of was that there was a smoker in the home. Inside the toilet, on the floor, was a tin marked as Morrisons potatoes that had lots of grey ash in. 

“Philip was smoking inside, in the toilet. On the table in the kitchen, there were two tins of spam, and they both had cigarettes in them as well.”

Mr Aspery described the blaze as a “superflash” due to ventilation he said came in through the "melted" front windows and a dog flap leading to the backyard.

But he pulled the court's focus on a “heavy” oak seat of which one of the legs was burned with a tin beside it - as he believes this is where the fire started.

He told the court: "My conclusion is that the fire started in or on the chair. I cannot state whether it was smoking or a candle in that same area.

"What I can say is that the most significant amount of damage was to the left-hand side of the chair. It was focused to the side."

Coroner Crispin Oliver added that that hypothesis would be “consistent with a right-hand smoker” - and he asked whether the clutter would have had an effect on the blaze being able to spread. 

Mr Aspery confirmed the clutter “must be” a factor and the items would have helped create “Russian doll effect” adding consistent fuel for the flames.

It emerged that the fire service was aware of the possible risk of a fire at the Cheesman's home years before the powerful inferno ended their lives.

Darren Edwards, a Community Safety Officer for County Durham & Darlington Fire & Rescue service told the court that the officers first visited in 2019 - and the family was given a fire retardant blanket, spray, and smoke alarms and had their carbon monoxide alarms tested.

However, Mr Edwards noted that Mr Cheesman was “very self-determined and reluctant to accept help” - but after a further visit in February 2022 further concerns were raised.

Mr Edwards added: “Within the property, I witnessed a lot of litter, including food waste. The kitchen was very cold due to a dog flap.

“The house condition required me to move up the risk of a fire to very high.”

The court then heard that both Mr and Ms Cheesman were recipients of social care from Heritage Healthcare and Careline provided by Darlington Borough Council – who visited the property multiple times a day.

Over the years carers noted that the hoarding in the home was in "flux" - and at some moments the home would be clean and tidy but would slip back into untidiness.

Justyna Jalowiec told the court that during these visits, carers also noticed greasy worktops, unsafe and unhygienic surfaces, a risk of rats, and at one visit in June 2022, a carer dubbed the whole home as "a health and safety hazard".

Then, just under a year later and a week before the deadly blaze, carers were still reporting "dirty" conditions in the home.

Clothes were piled in Ms Cheesman's bedroom, multiple kettles and toasters were laid around in the home and Mr Cheesman would become "aggressive" when asked about their living conditions.

Recommended:

• Inquest in death of couple in Darlington Woodland Terrace fire
• Police investigate fatal house fire at Darlington's Woodland Terrace

On May 9, just four days before the fire, a carer says they found "green and slimy" out-of-date food in their fridge - which was escalated to Careline.

However, when asked why this was not escalated to the borough council with a safeguarding concern, Ms Jalowiec told the court at that time it was understood the home's conditions were "not so bad".

The inquest continues.