A serious chip pan fire that was missed by fire-fighters left two people dead at 1100 on Saturday.  Neighbours of dinner lady Keli Morgan, 44, and her husband Joe Morgan, 41, had called the fire services upon smelling smoke.  Fire-fighters attended the report and searched for 25 minutes to find the source of the smoke, however they could not find any source of fire and left after isolating the electricity to one of the light fittings.  During their first time in the house they carried out a thorough search, which even included lifting floor boards in an attempt to find a blaze.  Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service have issued an interim report in which they state that the Morgan’s neighbours had phoned in their concerns and that the blaze at Bridge Farm Drive, Maghull had not been discovered.

Smoke alarm failed to function

Shortly after the fire services left the Morgan’s neighbours called again, this time reporting smelling smoke in the bathroom.  When fire-fighters returned to the premises, they detected smoke in the loft space coming from the Morgan’s house.  They entered the premises wearing breathing apparatus at which point they found the Morgans in extreme difficulty.  Mrs Morgan was found upstairs in a bedroom and Mr Morgan was found downstairs.  Neither was conscious or breathing.  Both were pronounced dead at University Hospital Aintree.

The report states that a blazing chip pan was found on a gas ring in the Morgan’s kitchen.  A smoke alarm was properly installed, however failed to function.

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