Vape caused fire that killed Chamiah Brindley, 6, court hears

A house fire that killed a six-year-old girl was started by a vape left charging in her room that caught fire, an inquest has heard.

Chamiah Brindley, known as Miah, died after the blaze broke out on the third floor of her home in Bedale Drive, Leicester, in the early hours of 10 September 2024.

On Monday, an inquest was told the lithium-ion battery of the vape pen caught fire after being left charging in the attic room she shared with an older sibling.

Family members broke down the door to her room but were stopped by flames and thick smoke while skylights into the room had also been nailed shut.

The hearing, at Leicester Town Hall, was told by Tracey Moore, Miah’s mother, that she had been woken by one of her daughters shouting there was a fire shortly after 04:00 BST.

The property was being shared by three adults and 10 children on the night of the blaze.

Ms Moore said she ensured the rest of the family had escaped before heading upstairs with her partner and one of her sons, having noticed Miah had not left the house.

Ivan Cartwright, area coroner for Leicester City and South Leicestershire, was told the door to the attic conversion was “unusually” stiff and had to be broken down.

The court also heard hard-wired smoke alarms in the property had been removed months before the fire and a number of skylights in the room had been nailed shut to prevent any children from climbing on to the roof.

Ms Moore said she heard her daughter screaming for help, but when the door was removed they were prevented from reaching her by fierce smoke and flames, which singed her hair.

Firefighters were called to the scene and reached Miah’s room but she could not be saved and was pronounced dead less than 20 minutes after the fire started.

A post-mortem examination found the child died from the “inhalation of the products of combustion”, the court heard.

Speaking at the inquest, fire officer Dean Thornton said eight vapes were found in the room.

A rechargeable device and its charger, which were lying next to the head of a double bed, were identified as being the seat of the fire.

Mr Thornton said he could not be exactly sure of the reason the rechargeable device set alight.

Leicestershire Police said a 14-year-old girl who was arrested in connection to the fire would face no further action.

The force also investigated the origin of the vape involved but its investigation could not track down where it came from.

The inquest is due to conclude on Tuesday.