A CORONER has warned of the dangers of using candles after a grandmother died when a bedroom fire quickly got out of control.

Pensioner Valerie Merritt died after thick smoke meant she was unable to follow husband Nicky out of their home in Medomsley, near Consett.

Coroner Andrew Tweddle heard today (May 9) how the 73-year-old had lived at the terraced house with her husband for 43 years and had been trying to put out the fire which started in her bedroom on the afternoon of February 10.

The blaze, described as so hot it burnt the faces of firefighters wearing special visors, quickly engulfed the property with thick plumes of smoke.

Senior fire investigator for County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service, Lee Aspery, said he suspected Mrs Merritt, who was known as Val, became disorientated trying to follow Mr Merritt downstairs and ended up in the bathroom instead.

Asked why she might have ended up in the bathroom Mr Asper said: “The key thing here is the fact the smoke was so thick.

“I suspect Val has headed for the stairs; she’s been in that house 43 years but the only issue is panic.”

He added: “I would not be surprised if Val was still heading for the stairs but in the smoke has become disorientated and missed it.”

After initially finding no-one in the upstairs rooms, firefighters noticed the bathroom light on and found Mrs Merritt, who was already dead, lying across the toilet.

A post-mortem revealed she died of carbon monoxide poisoning. No alcohol or drugs were found in her system.

Mr Aspery said an investigation revealed the fire started between the bed and bedside table.

He said the exact cause would never be known although two potential explanations were that a candle could have caught a reed diffuser Mrs Merritt had been using or a vase of dried flowers on her bedside table.

Any involvement from Mr Merritt’s oxygen therapeutics system as well as any other electrical equipment in the house was also ruled out as a cause.

Mr Tweddle concluded that Mrs Merritt’s death was an accident.

“We all know some things are dangerous but it always happens to somebody else whereas here it has happened to Val,” he said.

“There are times where what happens in my court can get reported and somebody might think twice or thrice in the future.”