Deceased
Michael Alan Holmes
Demographics
34y, male
Coroner
Coroner John Olle
Date of death
2020-06-07
Finding date
2023-07-06
Cause of death
effects of burns
AI-generated summary
Michael Holmes, 34, died from severe burns sustained when he re-entered a burning house attempting to rescue his son. The fire originated from clothes and towels left drying on a rack in front of an unattended wood heater. He suffered 90% total body surface area burns and died in hospital. The coroner found the fire was likely caused by the hazardous practice of drying laundry near an actively burning wood heater, compounded by the absence of working smoke alarms. Key lessons: never leave burning heaters unattended with flammable items nearby, install and maintain working smoke alarms throughout homes, and ensure safe distance between heaters and combustible materials. This preventable tragedy highlights the critical importance of basic fire safety practices in residential settings.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes. Report an inaccuracy.
Specialties
Error types
Drugs involved
Clinical conditions
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