A beloved pub landlady died from smoke inhalation after a fire sparked by an exploding battery in her cordless vacuum cleaner, an inquest has heard.
Ann Michelle Male, 58, known as Annie, perished in the blaze at the Fighting Cocks Inn in Stottesdon, Shropshire, on 14 July. Emergency services were called at 6.52pm after neighbours saw smoke from a window.
Firefighters forced entry and found the fire in a bedroom, where they discovered Mrs Male unresponsive on the floor. Despite CPR, she was pronounced dead at 7.40pm.
The inquest at Shropshire Coroners Court heard the fire was accidental, caused by an explosion in the battery of a Vax Blade cordless vacuum cleaner. The coroner noted that the battery had entered a state of 'thermal runaway', but the exact cause could not be determined due to its condition.
Mrs Male's daughter, Georgia Higgins, paid tribute, describing her mother as 'the life and soul of every room she entered' and 'the glue that held our family together'. The coroner warned of the dangers of lithium ion batteries, which can explode whether charging or not.
