Philpott trial: Smoke `so dense firefighters couldn't see'

AN eight-minute 999 phone call was made at 3.46am, while the house was on fire.

The court heard that a police officer arrived at 3.48pm and saw flames and black smoke through a hole in the plastic front door.

He made his way to the rear of the house by going through the next door neighbour's home.

The jurors were told that the officer got into the snooker room at the back of the Philpott house and then opened the door between the kitchen and the front room, but was driven back by the heat and smoke.

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The first fire service appliance arrived at 3.52am. The court heard that one firefighter said the front door had "completely melted away".

They extinguished the fire using high-pressure water hoses, which caused a lot of falling debris from the walls and ceiling.

"As the firefighters entered the house using breathing apparatus, the smoke was so dense, each of them had to feel their way upstairs. The situation was the same upstairs – they couldn't see anything.

"They found all six children each in bed, some covered by bedding."

*THE PHILPOTT TRIAL: Visit our Philpott trial channel here for all related stories in the fire death case.