Inquest into house fire deaths

Seven people died in fires during the 48-hour strike

An inquest has been opened on a mother and her three children who died in a house fire during the firefighters' strike.

Dawn Hughes, 29, her sons Daniel, 14, and Matthew, 13, and daughter Teegan, nine, died at their home in Wiltshire on Friday 15th November.

Mrs Hughes' partner, Karl Eagle, managed to escape from the house in Stert near Devizes as the fire took hold in the early hours of the morning.

The inquest was opened at Chippenham Magistrates Court.

The cause of the blaze is still unknown

The blaze was attended by retained firefighters, some of whom broke their strike to help.

The Fire Brigade said the deaths were not related to the strike action and retained crews would normally have been covering the area.

'Close-knit'

Six fire engines and a water carrier attended the scene after the emergency call at 0220 GMT.

The Reverend Paul Wilkinson, the local vicar, said the fire had been a tremendous shock.

"It will be felt right through Devizes and will have a great effect on what is a close-knit community," he said.

The cause of the blaze is still being investigated.