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Hulland Ward children fire deaths 'preventable' Hulland Ward children fire deaths 'preventable'
(40 minutes later)
A house fire which killed four children in Derbyshire could have been prevented by a fire guard, an inquest has heard.A house fire which killed four children in Derbyshire could have been prevented by a fire guard, an inquest has heard.
Tommy Henson, nine, Alisha Henson-Nulty, six, Rocco Henson-Nulty, four, and Appolonia Henson, two, died at a property in Hulland Ward on 24 January.Tommy Henson, nine, Alisha Henson-Nulty, six, Rocco Henson-Nulty, four, and Appolonia Henson, two, died at a property in Hulland Ward on 24 January.
Chief Fire Investigation Officer, Christopher Smith, told the inquest that the fire had started after a loose ember or log fell on to the carpet.Chief Fire Investigation Officer, Christopher Smith, told the inquest that the fire had started after a loose ember or log fell on to the carpet.
He said a fire guard would have prevented the fire from starting.He said a fire guard would have prevented the fire from starting.
Mr Smith also told the inquest at Derby Coroner's Court that the family would have had more time to escape if smoke alarms in the house had been in working order. Mr Smith told the inquest at Derby Coroner's Court that examinations of the property after the fire found there were no working smoke or heat detectors in the house.
The children's mother Rachel Henson, escaped the fire in a fall from a window. One battery powered smoke alarm was found on the first floor landing but tests showed it had no battery fitted, he said.
'Burning log'
Two hard-wire smoke alarms had also been disconnected from the mains, along with a heat detector.
Mr Smith said the fire began in the lounge on the ground floor and spread to the bedrooms above, where the children were sleeping.
He told the inquest: "The most likely cause of the fire was accidental resulting from the ignition of items around the fire; hot coal or burning log falling from the open fire, or a hot wooden ember being ejected from the fire."
There was also no fire guard, he said, and when asked by Mr Hunter if he thought the presence of one would have prevented a fire starting he answered: "Yes, in my opinion it would".
The children's mother, Rachel Henson, was present at the inquest and walked from the courtroom in tears as details from post-mortem reports for each of the children were read out.
At the time of the blaze she managed to escape from the property in Highfield Road but was unable to get back inside to rescue her children.
Neighbours tried to reach them as the fire swept through the house but could not open the front door of the property.
The children were found on the first floor. The bodies of Tommy and Appolonia were brought out of the property by firefighters, while Alisha and Rocco were recovered later.The children were found on the first floor. The bodies of Tommy and Appolonia were brought out of the property by firefighters, while Alisha and Rocco were recovered later.
Their funeral in February was attended by hundreds of mourners. They all suffered serious burns and died.
Relatives helped carry the coffins, two pink and two blue, into St Oswald's Church in Ashbourne. Investigators ruled out the possibilities that the fire was started deliberately, that it was due to an electrical fault or had started because of smoking materials.
St Oswald's Infant School, where Alisha was a pupil, was closed for the day as a mark of respect.