Family handoutA fire that killed a six-year-old girl who was trapped in an attic room was accidental, a coroner has concluded.
Chamiah Brindley, known as Miah, died after a rechargeable vape pen started a fire on the third floor of her home in the Mowmacre area of Leicester, in the early hours of 10 September 2024.
An inquest heard the device had been left charging next to the head of a bed in the room she shared with an older sibling. The hearing was told the door to the room became “stiff” during rescue attempts and skylights in the room had been nailed shut.
On Tuesday, Ivan Cartwright – area coroner for Leicester City and South Leicestershire – concluded Miah’s death was the result of an accident.
Following the conclusion, Miah’s mum, Tracey Moore, said her daughter would be “sorely missed every day”.
Speaking on behalf of the family, Det Con Katie Smith, of Leicestershire Police, said: “Miah’s happy, bubbly, boisterous nature was infectious and she loved nothing more than playing outside with her brother on her bike or kicking a ball.
“She was a tomboy but had a girly edge. She had lots of friends and she was warm and sociable.
“Miah was a loving daughter, stepdaughter, auntie and sister.
“There is not a day that goes by where we do not always think about her.”
Previously, the inquest had heard Miah was one of 10 children and three adults staying at the home in Bedale Drive on the night of the fire.
Ms Moore told the court at Leicester Town Hall that she was woken shortly after 04:00 BST by her daughter who said there was a fire.
After making sure her family left the home, she realised Miah was missing and ran up to her room, which was an attic conversion, but could not enter as the door was “unusually” stiff.
Her partner and son broke down the door, but fierce flames and thick smoke stopped them from entering the room.
PA MediaThe 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.
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.
Mr Cartwright also concluded Miah’s medical cause of death was “inhalation of the products of combustion”.
On Monday, fire officer Dean Thornton said eight vapes were found in the room, with one being identified as the source of the fire.
Mr Thornton said he could not be exactly sure of the reason the rechargeable device caught fire.
Leicestershire Police said a 14-year-old girl who was arrested in connection with the fire would face no further action.
The force also investigated the origin of the vape involved but its investigation could not determine where it came from.
