Fire that killed two brothers caused by ‘grill left on’

A bank holiday house fire that claimed the lives of two young brothers started in the grill of a kitchen oven, an inquest has heard.

A garda forensic expert yesterday told Cork City Coroner’s Court that he found the grill had been left turned on and that the oven was the seat of the fire at 106 Elm Park, Wilton, Cork, on Oct 30, 2011.

Firefighters recovered Calvin Ellard Punch, aged 4, his brother Cian, 2, and their mother Stacey from the smoke-filled two-storey terraced house. The boys died from the effects of smoke inhalation later. Their mother survived.