14 July 2023 , 01:17
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A kind and generous mum-of-four died when the battery from an electric scooter exploded, sparking a fire which tore through the third floor of her home in Blackpool.
Rebecca Downes was forced to jump from a window to escape the ferocious blaze, but suffered multiple injuries in the fall. The 44-year-old's partner Patrick Ramsey, in his 50s, was also injured in the fire along with one of her daughters.
Blackpool Coroners' Court heard the fire - which took place in July 2022 - begin at 12:40am and took less than three minutes to engulf the bedroom of the house in Hill Street, Blackpool. In a statement, Patrick said sparks flew 'like a Roman candle' from the battery, which had been plugged in by the bedroom door to charge, reports Lancs Live.
Thick, black smoke billowed into the street, and emergency workers had to move Rebecca to the other side of the street as it was unsafe to treat her where she fell due to falling debris and explosions from the upstairs window. An off-duty paramedic, who also lived in Hill Road, started CPR and was joined by NWAS, but despite their best efforts they were unable to save Rebecca.
She was taken to Blackpool Victoria Hospital but was pronounced dead at 1:42am.
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In a witness statement, Patrick, who ran D&B Bargains bike repair shop in Lytham Road, said he had recently started trading in electric bikes and scooters. The weekend before the fire he had taken a bike to a friend who specialised in electronics, as there seemed to be a problem with the battery.
The fire started after midnight (Lancs Live/MEN Media)On Tuesday July 5, he collected the battery and put it on to charge in the kitchen at home. But when he and Rebecca went to bed, Rebecca said she was not happy leaving it charging in the kitchen and he took it upstairs and plugged it in.
"A couple of minutes later there was a crack and a bang. That's when the fire started", he said. "Becky was in bed and the fire went up at speed. The battery was by the door and we couldn't get out. The battery kept exploding and I could see bright flashing and bits of battery were hitting me. It was like a Roman candle."
Rebecca's son Callum, who was asleep downstairs, woke to the sound of banging. He rushed from his bedroom to his younger sister, who was crying on the landing, and carried her downstairs, telling his brother to take her outside. He then tried to get to the third floor bedroom but was forced back due to the smoke and heat.
Coroner Andrew Cousins said: "I have to note how commendable the actions are of Callum, who not only rescued his sister but then ran back upstairs to try and rescue Rebecca and Patrick. Such actions speak great volumes about Callum's character."
Her cause of death was recorded as multiple injuries (Lancs Live/MEN Media)An investigation by Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service concluded the fire was the result of the lithium battery failing. Incident Intelligence Officer Michael Anglan said: "Whereas traditional fires such as cooking fires, or fires caused by smoking, tend to start slowly, and smoke alarms alert people a fire is developing, fires from these batteries develop very quickly and it is hard to escape."
Following Rebecca's death, Lancashire Police arrested a man on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter, due to concerns about the battery and its source, however no further action was taken. A public safety meeting took place after it emerged a second fire had started in Blackpool with a battery from the same source two days later.
Speaking after Rebecca's death, her family said she was known for her generosity and often cooked for the homeless. “The most important gift in life for her was always to show love, care and kindness to all", they said.
Coroner Andrew Cousins recorded Rebecca's cause of death as multiple injuries and recorded a conclusion of accidental death.