An elderly couple died in December when a fire consumed their home in Caerphilly, Wales, after a portable heater exploded, an inquest in Newport was told. Marlene Mumford, 84, and William Mumford, 90, were found dead at the property.
Assistant coroner Sarah Le Fevre stated that the most probable cause of the fire was a mechanical or connection failure with the gas heater. It is believed that William Mumford attempted to carry a gas cylinder out of the home, an action that likely intensified the flames.
Firefighters arriving at the scene encountered thick, black smoke billowing from the property and observed flames rising above the house. A neighbor, alerted by the sight of smoke and flames, rushed to the house with another individual. They witnessed a gas canister explode near the front porch.
Emergency services were initially unable to access the property due to the severity of the blaze. The couple were pronounced dead at the scene.
The coroner recorded their deaths as accidental, resulting from "an unintended act with unforeseen circumstance."