Wednesday 02 August 2000:
Birthday eve blaze tragedy
FIRE victim Sean Matthew Woodvine would have celebrated his 28th birthday the day after he died in a house fire in Hunslet Street, Burnley.
He was found dead in bed in an upstairs room at the house in Hunslet Street following the fire just before 5am last Thursday.
A long time friend and occupier of the house, Darren Barker, was rescued from downstairs. He suffered 25 per cent burns to the upper part of his body and remains in a critical condition in the intensive care unit at the Royal Preston Hospital.
At an inquest into Mr Woodvine's death, Mrs Elizabeth Hall of Morse Street, Burnley, said her son had worked in factories more or less all his life.
He had started a new job on the Monday before he died. She said he had not been married and had a son.
She thought he had lived in Hunslet Street for about three weeks. He had his own flat before he moved in with Darren, someone he had been friends with for years. His only problem as far as she knew was that he was a bit hard up.
Last Thursday someone phoned her to say two boys had been carried from the house. She contacted the police and was then asked to identify her son. East Lancashire Coroner David Smith adjourned the inquest until police and fire officers complete their investigations.First published on Friday 10 November 2000:
'I did not start fatal house fire'
by David Ayrton
BURNS victim Darren Barker has spoken out against rumours which led to a coroner asking if he had started a house fire in which his friend died.
Although police, fire investigators and forensics experts all agreed that the fire at Darren's home in Hunslet Street, Burnley, was accidental and not suspicious there have been rumours in the town that he started the blaze after an argument with his friend Sean Woodvine.
Sean died in the fire in July. Darren suffered horrific 25 per burns to his chest, neck and face and stopped breathing twice, once at the scene and later in hospital.
While in intensive care at the Royal Preston Hospital his family was told that his lungs had filled with fluid and there was little hope.
Darren fought back from the point of death to be then told that his friend Sean had died.
At his mum's home in Burnley yesterday Darren said: "I want to put these rumours to rest once and for all.
"Sean was one of my best mates. There was a group of us who all looked after each other. I looked after him when he lost his job, I gave him a home. He would have done the same for me."
Darren denied falling out with his friend. He said: "I am aware of these rumours that we had a row about my wife Clare but it is not true." On the night before the fire the two friends went out to celebrate Sean's 27th birthday. Darren said: "We had a really good evening. "What happened later was an accident as was said in court. I have lost a good friend."
Darren who is badly scarred to his face, neck and upper body, added: "I am sincerely distressed for Sean's family and what they are going through must be terrible. They have lost a son and brother."
Darren said he in no way wanted to glorify what had happened to him and refused to be photographed.
He said: "I died at the scene but they got me going again. I am told that in hospital I again stopped breathing but came back." He suffered horrific burns. He has had skin grafts to his eyes and face, with more needed in the future. He is in constant of pain for which he receives medication.
Darren was in intensive care for two weeks and when he came to repeatedly asked where Sean was and why he had not visited him.
After he was told by his family that Sean had died he did not speak to anyone for four days.
Darren added: "The rumours have upset me mentally because at the end of the day he was my best friend.
"Sean needs to be at rest and he cannot be while the rumours are still flying about. He needs to be at peace and I have to get on with my life. It was a terrible accident and that is the end of it."