A fire, thought to have been caused by a faulty electric heater, has left one man dead, his body discovered by firefighters tackling the blaze.
The fire, which broke out in a ground floor flat in the Midlands, actually happened at the end of September but the full details have only just been released..
Firefighters managed to contain the blaze to the apartment in which it started, preventing its spread to other flats in the three-story building.
It has been reported that fire investigators who have since inspected the scene have confirmed the blaze was accidental, after being started by an electric heater. The fire spread to a sofa in the property on which the body of a man was found.
Neighbours had previously reported that they believed the man, known locally as Jerry, had woken up but was unable to escape from the premises.
The fire and police services have now handed the investigation to the coroner.
Commercial buildings, non-domestic and multi-occupancy premises in England and Wales are already forced to undertake a 'suitable and sufficient' fire risk assessment carried out under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
While the overwhelming majority of premises do this, if the assessment is thought to have been carried out to an insufficient extent, the Responsible Person can face an unlimited fine or up to two years in prison.
Original sources
Express & Star
Express & Star
