Cannabis spotting caused fatal fire
A mum turning a stove on to spot cannabis caused a tragic house fire in Palmerston North that killed her young daughter and the girl’s grandmother.
Eunice Felton, 6, and Bessie Tokona, 61, died on September 3, 2015, when a fire erupted in their two-storey state house in Palmerston North.
Coroner Tim Scott released his findings yesterday and said a report by a fire investigator found the most probable point where the fire started was the stove’s back left element.
He found the two back elements on the stove were left on high by Eunice’s mother, Nechia Tokona, and that when the fire started, flames had reached and melted a fan about the stove.
This caused the motor to fall into or on to a pot full of cooking oil at the left hand rear of the stove, which fell to the floor and caused the fire to spread.
Scott said the only evidence as to how the elements would have been turned on was Nechia Tokona saying she left them on after spotting cannabis.
Scott was surprised at the revelation. ‘‘She was under no pressure to disclose this information.’’
Initially, he thought she was trying to protect her son, who was the most likely candidate, prior to her admission, for leaving on the stove.
‘‘However, I changed my view because it was obvious to me and others that Nechia was extremely upset and crying. Her reaction seemed genuine.’’
Scott said he believed Nechia Tokona had turned both elements on, one by mistake, for spotting cannabis, and said there was no other explanation as to how they came to be on.
He said it was not possible to determine why Bessie Tokona and Eunice were unable to escape, but they were the two most vulnerable of the family.
‘‘Had there been an escape plan, it would likely have included at least two other whanau members tasked to see to the safety of others.’’
But the coroner said this plan would probably have failed, simply because by the time anyone realised the house was on fire, it was full of smoke and the internal stairways were blocked.
When emergency services arrived, the house was well ablaze.
Scott said Nechia Tokona was trying to fight the fire with a garden hose, but was pulled away by police who said it was too dangerous. Two firefighters using breathing equipment entered the house.
Eunice was found in her bedroom, but appeared to be dead.
Scott said her grandmother could not be located.
‘‘Within a short period of time the firefighters themselves came under threat and needed to be rescued. Although they attempted to take Eunice from the building, they were unable to do so.’’
The coroner said firefighters did their best in the circumstances and only abandoned their attempts once it was established Eunice appeared to be already dead and their lives were at considerable risk.
Scott said had it not been for the actions of Nechia Tokona’s oldest son, Aperahama Maurierere, the inquest would not just be looking at two deaths.
He said Maurierere was brave and unselfish and while the death of two family members was a tragedy, nine escaped.
Scott said family members were thwarted in their escape efforts as upstairs windows were fitted with safety latches, so they could only be opened a small distance.
’’This is a deliberate precaution . . . to prevent the very young members of the whanau from possibly falling from an open window.’’
He said this measure, designed for safety, actually had the opposite effect and resulted in it being much harder for the family to escape.
‘‘They were unable to use internal stairways because of the thick overpowering smoke.
‘‘They broke the windows to escape.’’
Some family members jumped from the second storey to escape, while others clambered down a wooden ladder that was fixed outside the house as a fire ladder.
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