Coroner's Finding: Laing, Gary John
Deceased
Gary John Laing
Demographics
61y, male
Date of death
2019-05-24
Finding date
2023-03-31
Cause of death
asphyxia due to smoke inhalation
AI-generated summary
Gary John Laing, aged 61, died from asphyxia due to smoke inhalation in a shed fire at his rented granny flat in Swansea, Tasmania on 24 May 2019. The fire was caused by either misuse of an electrical bar heater to dry towels or unattended cooking oil left on a portable gas stove. Mr Laing was outside when the fire started but re-entered to remove a flaming wok and attempt to extinguish the fire. He became overcome by smoke and heat in his bedroom. While a smoke alarm was present, it did not prevent the tragedy. The coroner emphasised that people should never dry towels over operating heaters or leave hot oil unattended on heat sources, as Mr Laing's decision to re-enter the burning premises proved fatal.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Contributing factors
- unattended cooking oil on portable gas stove or electrical bar heater misuse to dry towels
- rapid fire development from cooking oil and portable stove gas canister
- open bedroom door and window allowing fire and smoke to penetrate refuge area
- lack of effective smoke alarm response to rapidly developing fire
- decision to re-enter burning premises to remove wok and attempt fire suppression
Coroner's recommendations
- Reminder that people should not dry towels by laying them over operating heaters
- Reminder that people should not leave hot oil unattended on a stove or other heat source
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