A sportswoman who was a beloved member of her local bowls and darts clubs has died in hospital days after a severe house fire. Laura Edwards, 53, suffered critical injuries in the blaze that erupted in her Paddock Wood home.
An inquest heard that the fire broke out around 12:40 a.m. on May 9 in the bedroom where Laura and her late husband had previously slept. The room had since been used for storage. The fire rapidly spread, destroying the bedroom and the left side of the detached property, prompting neighbors to alert emergency services.
Firefighters arrived approximately 15 minutes after the first calls and managed to rescue Laura's elderly father from the premises. He escaped by climbing from a bedroom window onto the roof of a conservatory. However, Laura remained trapped inside the burning house. She sustained third-degree burns and suffered a cardiac arrest due to severe smoke inhalation.
Edwards was taken to King's College Hospital in London and later transferred to Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford, Essex. Her condition deteriorated, and she was pronounced dead on May 13, four days after the fire.
An investigation into the cause of the fire could not definitively determine its origin due to the extensive damage. Fire service investigator Paul Wood indicated two possibilities: a discarded cigarette butt, as both Laura and her father were smokers and cigarette butts were found at the property, or the deliberate ignition of a combustible substance. The fire was not fully extinguished until 3:44 a.m.
Coroner Venessa Holt recorded Laura's cause of death as hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy and severe smoke inhalation injury in a house fire, followed by third-degree burns. In the presence of Laura's friends and neighbors, Holt recorded a conclusion of accident and offered condolences to her family and friends, thanking the fire service for their response.
Tributes have poured in for Edwards, who worked as a personal assistant and in the Maidstone United club shop. She was described as a vital member of Paddock Wood Bowls Club, where she served as vice-captain, and was remembered for her significant role in guiding the club through the Covid pandemic. Friends noted her kindness, friendship, and spirit, stating that her presence left a significant void.
Edwards was also a keen darts player for the Foresters Arms Ladies team. Her darts league colleagues remembered her "cheerful spirit," reliability, and humor. One teammate recalled her "self-encouragement after a dodgy throw" and her energy and warmth, noting that her "cheerful spirit" lifted every match night.