The ‘happiest little girl who was always smiling and managed to bring happiness to everyone she met’ died tragically in a fire that started in her bedroom, an inquest heard today.
Five- year-old Alysia Salisbury died in a house fire at the home she shared with her mother, two sisters and her mother’s partner at Pontyglasier, near Crymych, on May 28 last year.
Pembrokeshire coroner, Paul Bennett, heard today that Alysia was autistic and was fascinated by all things sensory including fire.
On her birthday she would become distracted by the shape and movement of the flames of the candles on her birthday cake.
The inquest heard how Alysia was loved by her two sisters who delighted in playing with her and taking care of her, making sure that she was warm enough and not hungry as she sometimes could not express these needs.
On the evening on May 27 last year the five-year-old was in her sister’s bed in a first-floor rear bedroom for a sister sleepover, which the girls often did.
Her older sister had gone downstairs to warm a brioche in the oven shortly before 9.30pm. At this time Alysia’s eldest sister was in her attic bedroom and her mother and partner were in their room.
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Five minutes after the oven was lit the smoke alarm in the property went off. Alysia’s mother Tara thought that the oven had set it off, as was often the case, and came downstairs to try and switch it off.
Her siblings and stepfather also came out of their rooms. The door to the rear bedroom was shut and there were no signs of fire.
Moments later the family saw smoke rolling down stairs and realised that there was a fire in Alysia’s bedroom.
Tara and her partner opened the bedroom door to see the nearby wooden desk completely engulfed in flames. As they tried to get into the bedroom the fire grew, rolling across the bedroom ceiling, out of the door and engulfing the attic stairs.
Tara had to be forced to leave the property, seconds later the windows of the house shattered as the fire spread to the attic.
Alysia was described as ‘one of a kind’ in a statement by her mother. She said how the family would ‘miss that little smile every day for the rest of their lives’.
A report by Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service fire investigator, Jason Woodman, said that the lighter had been taken from Alysia’s sister’s attic bedroom and had been used to ignite something on the desk in the first-floor bedroom.
There were scented candles on the desk, but he could not be sure if it was these or other flammable items in the desk that had been ignited. The bedroom had what was described as a ‘heavy fire load’, causing the blaze to spread quickly.
Alysia’s mother said that she was capable of using a lighter and because of her autism she had no fear or sense of danger, rather she would have sat fascinated by the flames watching the fire as it grew.
A post-mortem by Dr Stephen Leadbeatter at the University Hospital of Wales recorded a conclusion of death by exposure to fire and fire effluent.
“I cannot begin to imagine the horror and sheer sense of helplessness that Tara and Joshua went through,” said Pembrokeshire Coroner Paul Bennett.
“I cannot think of any other situation that was comparable to that, and the desperation and distress that the family had to endure.
“To lose a young person is tragic but to do so in such desperate circumstances can’t be comprehended.”
Mr Bennett recorded a conclusion of accidental death and extended his heartfelt condolences to Alysia’s family.
“We miss her terribly,” Alysia’s Tara told the inquest. “She was very very loved and will be very very missed for a very long time.”
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