An 87-year-old man tragically lost his life in a garage fire caused by a fuel ignition while working on motorcycles with his son. Edmund Davis was at his home in Worle on Sunday, May 11, when the fatal accident occurred.
According to testimony heard at the inquest on Thursday, August 28, Edmund and his son Grant were handling fuel in their garage using a plastic and metal bowl to catch spills. The flow of fuel was uneven, leading to spillage on the floor. Grant expressed his discomfort with the increasing amount of fuel around them.
Despite the tense situation, Edmund remained calm and instructed his son to take the bowls outside. Unbeknownst to them, a halogen lamp used for lighting ignited the spilled petrol vapors. Within seconds, the garage floor was engulfed in flames that quickly rose up to six feet.
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Grant witnessed his father’s legs catch fire and attempted to reach him but was forced to retreat when the flames became too intense. A neighbor, alerted by shouts of “fire,” rushed to the scene and saw Grant running out, shouting that Edmund was still inside.
Emergency services, including fire crews from Weston-super-Mare, Winscombe, Clevedon, and Yatton, arrived promptly along with ambulance teams. Paramedics confirmed Edmund’s death at 9:10 pm, after the fire was extinguished.
Anton Awramenko, Group Manager at Avon Fire & Rescue Service, confirmed that a thorough investigation was conducted. He concluded the incident was most likely caused by the ignition of petroleum vapors by the halogen lamp.
Assistant Coroner Dr. Simon Fox KC returned a verdict of accidental death, closing the case on a heartbreaking accident.