A KIDLINGTON man died in a fire caused by poor-quality wiring done 25 years ago, a coroner ruled.

Christopher Butler, 55, died after his home in Wilsdon Way caught fire on Friday, September 5.

Assistant Oxfordshire Coroner Peter Clark heard on Wednesday the fire was caused by a wire for the kitchen cooker overheating.

He called for the fire service to warn others living in neighbouring houses to check their wiring just in case.

A fire service report said the cooker was not being used but it was plugged in.

The fire started in the cavity between the kitchen ceiling and the floor of the bedroom above it.

The report said the fire filled the bedroom with smoke and hot gases, killing Mr Butler, who lived alone.

Fire station manager and investigative officer Guy Dunkley said the wire had been installed when the house was built in the 1980s.

He said that the wire and was fed through a hole drilled through the wooden timber in the kitchen ceiling.

He said: “The cable was pushed through the hole at an acute angle. It could have been damaged when the property was constructed.

Our top stories

“The size of the hole would act to insulate the cable and add to the heating process. Potentially it could have ignited prior to our attendance and the fire could have sat there smouldering for a considerable time.”

He added the cooker’s 13 amp single fuse box, at least 20 years old, also contributed to the fire.

He said: “They will carry a higher current than modern fuses and so the breaker will take longer to trip than newer ones.”

The court heard fire crews were called to the scene by neighbour Duncan Spiers after he saw smoke rising from the roof.

Firefighter Paul Carroll said he found Mr Butler lying on the floor in the doorway of the back bedroom of the terraced house.

He said: “There was a lot of smoke with very low visibility and the bedroom was extremely hot. There were a lot of bottles on the ground. I could feel them and hear them clinking together.”

Despite fire crews performing CPR after taking Mr Butler out of the house he was pronounced dead at the scene by a paramedic at 1.23pm.

A post-mortem examination and toxicology report said that Mr Butler, a retired psychiatric charge nurse, died from smoke inhalation and alcohol intoxication. At the time of his death He had enough alcohol in his blood to be four times the legal limit for driving.

Mr Clark said: “The alcohol would have impaired his ability to recognise the danger of the fire and his ability to escape.”

He recorded a narrative verdict and noted that Mr Butler had asthma, but said it did not directly contribute to his death.

Mr Butler was described by his neighbour Gaye Scutter as “a quiet man, reserved. He was pleasant but reclusive.”

  • Do you want alerts delivered straight to your phone via our WhatsApp service? Text NEWS or SPORT or NEWS AND SPORT, depending on which services you want, and your full name to 07767 417704. Save our number into your phone’s contacts as Oxford Mail WhatsApp and ensure you have WhatsApp installed.