Pair who died in fire 'lived for each other'

A fire in a caravan that killed a 10-year-old and her father who "lived for each other" could have been started by a discarded cigarette or an electronic device, an inquest found.

Esme Baker and her father Lee Baker, 48, from Retford, died from smoke inhalation at Golden Beach Holiday Park, in Ingoldmells, near Skegness, on 5 April.

The inquest heard an investigation by Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue found the "severity and damage was significant" and the exact cause of the fire could not be determined.

Greater Lincolnshire assistant coroner Lindsay Tasker determined Mr Baker and Esme's deaths had been accidental, following the "inhalation of the products of combustion".

The caravan was owned by Mr Baker, who had bought it in November 2024.

On the night of 4 April, Mr Baker and Esme were staying at the site and spending time with friends at The Sandancer pub, playing bingo and pool.

A friend of Mr Baker's said he had been drinking but it was "pretty standard for him" and they did not "describe him as drunk".

After leaving the pub at about 23:00 GMT, the inquest heard Mr Baker, who was known to smoke cigarettes, had Facetimed friends at about midnight with Esme.

Ms Tasker said he had ended the call just after midnight, stating he would finish his cigarette and go to bed.

At about 03:30 GMT, the inquest heard people woke up to sounds of a "loud popping" and a "cracking noise", before they saw the fire, called 999 and knocked on other caravans to warn them.

Following the confirmed deaths of Mr Baker and Esme, an investigation was launched into the cause of the fire, with external and internal inspections carried out by Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue.

Giving evidence at Lincoln Coroner's Court on Tuesday, Simon Cartwright, station manager at Skegness for the fire service, said there had been "no evidence found" of Mr Baker's cigarette, but this "could have been due to the intensity of the fire", so he could not rule out the possibility of a discarded cigarette being the cause.

"Remnants of a battery-powered device" were discovered in the main bedroom as well as a tablet device with a charging cable in the second bedroom, although it was not known if it had been connected, Mr Cartwright said.

The fire service found no evidence to suggest anything was cooking at the time of the fire, or that it was caused by heating or any open flames.

Any deliberate causes were also ruled out.

Mr Cartwright said: "The two possible causes would be accidental causes but, because we can't determine between each each of those, it's undetermined."

In a written statement, East Lindsey District Council said the holiday park was found to have a "comprehensive" safety policy and a "good record of compliance".

Giving evidence, Det Insp Kara Nicholson of Lincolnshire Police said CCTV footage from the night showed Mr Baker and Esme "happy and in good spirits" when they left The Sandancer pub on 4 April.

The CCTV showed there had been "no people milling about on the site at all", Det Insp Nicholson said.

"There was no third party involvement in the fire and the deaths of Esme and Lee," she said as she confirmed the police investigation concluded the fire was an accident.

"Despite an extensive investigation, it has not been possible to determine the cause of the fire," Ms Tasker told the inquest.

A tribute read out on behalf of Mr Baker's mother described him as a "kind, generous and hard-working person" who "loved a bet on the horses".

"Lee was a likeable person, he got on with anyone he met, he was a loveable rogue," the statement read.

Mr Baker's mother said he had "loved spending with time Esme" and they "lived for each other", adding: "They were like free spirits without a care in the world."

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