• Catherine Hickman, 31, was on phone to operator for an hour before dying
  • 20 minutes into call she said: 'I can see flames at the door, it's choking'
  • Operator said 'don't open door because you don't know what's behind it'
  • She later told operator: 'It's orange, it's orange everywhere'

By Sean O'hare

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Catherine HIckman

Catherine Hickman, 31, died after she was told to stay in her flat during the fire in South London in 2009

A victim of a tower block fire which claimed six lives, including a three-week old baby, was told to stay in her flat by a 999 operator, an inquest has heard.

Catherine Hickman died along with two women and three children at the blaze in Lakanal House, Camberwell, South London, in July 2009.

Jurors heard the 31-year-old designer was on the phone to the fire brigade for an hour before she lost consciousness.

James Maxwell-Scott, counsel for the inquest, said Miss Hickman described her flat as being 'orange everywhere' and that smoke was coming through her floorboards.

He said: 'The operator told her to shut the windows on the side the smoke was coming, and keep the windows on the other side open.'

In a later call, at 4.23pm, she 'told the operator there was smoke coming through the floorboards.

'She said "what should I do, should I get out?", and the operator told her to go to a room where there was less smoke but Catherine Hickman said she had moved onto the balcony.

'She then said she had gone back into the flat because there was too much smoke.'

The inquest heard the operator told her to get down on the floor and put something over her face to protect her from the smoke.

Minutes later, at 4.27pm, she asked again if she should leave the flat but was told 'she should not open the door because she did not know what was on the other side,' said Mr Maxwell-Scott.

Recounting her finals moments, he said: 'She told the operator there was a lot of smoke, and she couldn't breathe very well.

'Three minutes later, she said "oh my God, no, I can see flames at the door. I'm getting really hot in here".'

Nearly 20 minutes after making the call Miss Hickman said: "Oh my God. I can see flames at the door. It's choking inside in here.'

Lakanal House

The electrical explosion ripped through a ninth floor flat and the flames spread to other flats in the block

Tthe 14-storey building consisted of 98 maisonette flats. The fire reached the 11th floor where the victims lived

London Fire Service photo of the fire at a block of flats in Camberwell

Miss Hickman lived in flat 79. The other victims perished in flat 81 where they had all taken refuge together

Shortly before she blacked out Miss Hickman was heard screaming that something had fallen on her from the ceiling.

By 4.55pm, the operator told fire crews that Ms Hickman had stopped talking and they could no longer hear her breathing.

The operator told her fire crews were in the building but they were unable to get to her in time.

The fire started on the ninth floor of the block after a faulty TV in flat 65 caught light.

It quickly spread through the 14-storey building, which consisted of 98 maisonette flats, up to the 11th floor where the victims lived.

Dayana Francisquini, 26, and her children, Thais, six, and Filipe, three, were also killed in the blaze along with Helen Udoaka, 34, and her daughter Michelle, who was just 20 days old.

Tower block fire

Dayana Francisquini with son Filipe Francisquini, aged 3, and daughter Thais Francisquini aged four taken on her fourth birthday at home. All died in the tower block fire

Helen Udoaka had also contacted emergency services to say her flat was filled with smoke.
'She said she and her baby were trapped and there was "so much smoke",' Mr Maxwell-Scott said.

'The operator advised her to use a towel or blanket to stop the smoke coming in. She replied 'everywhere is choked with smoke'.'

Jurors were shown photographs and a short video detailing how the lethal fire spread.

The film clip showed thick smoke pouring from the top of the building, showing that the internal corridor was filled with smoke by that point, the jury heard.

One still shot showed a resident trying to put together a makeshift rope to lower himself off a balcony to escape.

The inquest was told that Rafael Cervi, Dayana Francisquini's husband, called 999 to tell the operator that his family was trapped and he was a few minutes away from the block of flats.

Shadow deputy prime minister Harriet Harman, who is MP for Camberwell and Peckham, attended the start of the inquest today.

Michelle Udoaka

Baby Michelle Udoaka, the 3 week old daughter of Helen Udoaka, died in the Camberwell tower block inferno along with her mother

Miss Hickman lived in flat 79. The other victims perished in flat 81 where they had all taken refuge together.

The inquest was formally opened on July 15, 2009- 12 days after the blaze happened- but resumed yesterday (Mon).

A jury of three men and seven women was earlier sworn in to hear the inquest, which is being held in Lambeth Town Hall because it was thought to be 'inappropriate' for it to be heard in the borough where the fire took place.

Jurors are due to visit the building in person this Friday to help them understand the evidence in the case.

The case is being presided over by Frances Kirkham, a senior circuit judge who has been appointed as an assistant deputy coroner in order to hear the inquest.

She earlier warned jurors that 'some of the evidence is upsetting'.

Costing an estimated 2m, the case is expected to run until March 30, with a transcript of proceedings uploaded to the council's website each evening.

The parties being represented at the hearing include Southwark Borough Council, Apollo Property Services, and Symphony Windows, as well as relatives of some of the deceased.

Extensive investigations have since been carried out by the Metropolitan Police and Southwark Council, who own the building. 

But prosecutors decided in May 2012 not to press manslaughter charges as there was no realistic prospect of conviction.

Lakanal House flat fire Peckham 2009

The inquest was formally opened on July 15, 2009- 12 days after the blaze at Lakanal House (pictured) happened- but resumed today

Lakanal House flat fire Peckham 2009

Lakanal House flat fire Peckham 2009

The comments below have been moderated in advance.

BRIAN, BLANDFORD:= With respect, the fact that she was on the phone to the Operator for an hour does NOT mean that the Fire Brigade took an hour to get there. I have taken many calls where it is safer to keep the caller on the line whilst the FB are en route to the incident. If they cannot get out of the property, they feel more secure talking to the Operator, and knowing that the Operator was passing any vital information on to the on coming appliances. In all probability the Appliances were at the incident with minutes of the call being received. Believe me, it is not an easy job, moreso for the Firefighters.

So exactly what would have happened then DM if she had opened the door? The one with flames behind it, which burnt their way through into her flat ??

"Why tell someone to stay in the flat instead of checking the passage outside and making an escape" Clearly you've never done any fire training. Opening a door that you can see flames behind would be highly dangerous and could lead to a fireball from the sudden, massive introduction of oxygen to the fire. A tragic case but the 999 operator seems to have simply followed their training

As an ex Fire brigade Operator of 25 years, I don't see what the Operator said that was wrong. Having read the article I would have said exactly the same, she did not know what was behind the door, and was quite rightly advised to lie on the floor with something damp like a towel (IF she was able to get one, safely) over her head. Also, knowing what room she was in, the Operator would have been able to pass that information on to the oncoming appliances, who would have accessed that room first.. I obviously do not know all the details, but it is very easy to pass judgement without full knowledge.

So sad, but just shows you how much we rely on people in authority instead of using common sense.

It was a faulty TV and as far as I know best practice is to keep doors closed as fire is fed by air - very sad.

Looks like something from Moscow back in the 60's

Moral of the story: Always use your common sense - The Wise Guy. As those poor people couldn't see what was happening outside of their flat, they did use their common sense and called 999 for help and advice. It seems you didn't actually read the article?

The same happened to a mum and her daughter in,I think,Milton Keynes,mums was kept on the phone for close to 1/2h and told to stay inside and close the doors,yet she had asked several times if she could jump out with her child (they lived in a house,so it was more than possible) and was told No,the Fire brigade would sort it ! and they died. It is disgusting! They should not be listened to.Better a possible broke leg than death.

Must be a terrible way to go, my thoughts go out to everyone affected by this tragedy :(

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