'Kind' young mum died in Tonypandy house fire after child set fire to teddy

A mother-of-two died in a freak accident after a child who was playing with a lighter set fire to a teddy bear, an inquest has heard.

Chloe Doggett, 28, was on a call to a friend when the fire broke out and she was trapped in a bedroom at a house in Tonypandy.

An inquest into her death heard how she tried to escape the blaze, after the fire ripped through the upstairs of the three-storey house.

Chloe died from her injuries in hospital three days later.

The inquest heard how all the adults in the house were smokers and that "numerous lighters and ashtrays were found throughout the property".

It also heard police had initially questioned Chloe's boyfriend but a criminal investigation was dropped after a child admitted to starting the fire.

Detective Constable Stacey Vincent interviewed the child who confirmed they had “described starting the fire and using a lighter” and telling a family member they had set fire to a "teddy bear".

Fire safety manager Stephen Morgan said the fire was most probably caused by a naked flame against a combustible material.

The inquest also heard there were no fire alarms or other fire safety equipment in the house when the fire broke out in September last year.

Chloe and her boyfriend, 26, were on the top floor while she was on the phone to her friend Phillipa Stevens.

Ms Stevens said in a statement that “Chloe was happy in herself” - but then she heard what sounded like a woman shouting and then a man shouting “Chloe”.

Chloe's boyfriend told the court that after hearing the shouting, he opened the bedroom door and instantly saw smoke.

He said he saw a child in the room opposite which was becoming engulfed by flames, and said: “my natural instinct was to run through the fire and grab the child. I didn’t realise Chloe was still in the bedroom until I got outside.”

An off-duty firefighter and several other men tried to rescue Chloe but they were unable to get up the stairs due to black smoke covering the landing.

Penelope Griffiths, a blood pattern analysis expert, has said injuries to Chloe's arms, body and blood found on the window, bedroom door and wardrobe were consistent with her trying break the window to escape.

The coroner concluded that Chloe had managed to remove the secondary double-glazing unit, cutting herself in the process, before becoming unconscious from severe smoke inhalation.

Assistant coroner Gaynor Kynaston said: “I accept and find that the fire was started in bedroom two and that the fire was started by a child playing with a cigarette lighter.

“Despite her attempts to escape the scene, Chloe was rendered unconscious by smoke inhalation.”

'A good mother'

Mrs Kynaston recorded that Chloe's death was an accident.

Turning to Chloe’s family, she said: “it is quite obvious that she was very well loved by you all and will be greatly missed by you and her children."

After the hearing, Chloe's mother, Emma Doggett said: "She was just the most kind person who would do anything and help anyone.

"She would not see anyone struggle. She was really bubbly and went through a lot with her children through no fault of her own. She was a good mother."