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Father fears daughter died in fire waiting to be rescued
14 Oct 2009The father of a woman killed in a horrific tower block fire said he believes she died after being told to wait for rescuers to arrive.
Catherine Hickman was found near her front door clutching her keys, her father Pip Hickman said today.
Mr Hickman said he believes Catherine, 31, planned to escape but was told to stay in the 11th floor flat at Lakanal House in Camberwell, south London, and wait for firefighters.
The fashion designer's family have not yet been allowed to hear the recording of the 999 call she made on July 3 but Mr Hickman said he assumes his daughter was given the same advice as other residents.
Dayana Francisquini, 26, her six-year-old daughter Thais and son Filipe, three, also perished in the blaze.
A friend who spoke to Mrs Francisquini as she waited in her 11th floor bathroom said she had been advised to stay in her flat and wait for help to arrive.
Her neighbour Helen Udoaka, 34, was with Mrs Francisquini. Her body was found in the building and her baby daughter Michelle died in hospital.
Mr Hickman said his daughter's flat keys were sent to his local undertaker with her body.
"She had the keys with her, in her hand," he said. I think she made her mind to make a break for it."
He said Miss Hickman had stayed on the phone line for 20 minutes before her death and he could only "assume" that she had been advised to stay put. "That was the advice they give in any tower block fire," he said.
"It was an assumption that they told her." Only the tape of his daughter's emergency call can confirm if his suspicions are correct. I have asked for it several times but there's nothing coming, not even a transcript," he said.
The tape will not be released until the police and fire investigations are completed. Scotland Yard today said the investigation is "continuing".
The force announced in late July that the blaze started due to an electrical fault in an old television set which had been left plugged in on the ninth floor.
Mr Hickman, from Ower near Romsey, Hampshire, said the family were still coming to terms with the tragedy.
"It's never nice to lose a child, not matter how old or young they are. It's the wrong order, isn't it?"
Miss Hickman, who grew up in Hampshire and has two younger sisters, worked at an exclusive boutique in Notting Hill, north London, with a client list including Kylie Minogue and Paris Hilton.
The family said Miss Hickman had escaped being involved in the September 11 2001 World Trade Centre bombings in New York as she had been due to hold a fashion show in the building on the day it was destroyed.
Her boyfriend Mark Bailey, who flew home from New York following the fire, said he had been planning to propose to her.
A London Fire Brigade spokesman said: "The police have specifically asked the brigade not to comment on the ongoing investigation into the Lakanal House fire due to the ongoing investigation.
"High rise buildings are designed to have walls, ceilings and doors that hold back fire.
"If there is a fire elsewhere in the building you are usually safer staying in your flat unless heat or smoke is affecting you.
"Firefighters are especially trained to respond to fires in high rise buildings, and do so regularly.
"The techniques used by crews to reach people trapped by fire are in place and reviewed constantly.
"Outside of the Lakanal House fire investigation, if changes to the advice given to residents or the approach taken by firefighters were needed, we would make them.
"All lessons that can be learnt during this investigation will be carefully considered to ensure the safety of the people we serve."
Reader views (3)
I agree with Nigel that it is usually safer to stay put in a high rise fire,and that the advice that was given to Mr Hickmans Daughter would normally have proved to be the right advice.
Whilst the bulk of the blame should be directed at those responsible for modifications to the building,I fear that the LFB will try to bury any failings that were exposed in their standard operating procedures or chain of command.
There is a lack of faith amongst grass root firefighters that the LFB management is capable of objective analysis of any failings in it's incident command structure.
A Familial relationship between a member of the Fire authority and one of those in charge at the scene,do nothing to allay firefighters fears that an honest appraisal is unlikely.
I would also question the assertion by the LFB spokesperson that fire crews regularly receive training in dealing with high rise fires.This training consists of theory sessions,as there is no high rise training facility available in London that allows for practical training.
- Jack, Tooting, 15/10/2009 09:53
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Usually, it is safer to stay put rather than risk a smoke-filled corridor. This case was exceptional, in that the fire spread much quicker than usual, and in a way that surprised the emergency services. Any blame must be directed at those who designed or modified the building. The advice to stay put was probably sound at the time it was given, even though it proved fatal.
- Nigel, London, 14/10/2009 13:45
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Why not go into the stairwell and descend to street level that's what we did in a 65 story building downtown Los Angeles and the only fatality was a worker who used a lift because he had a key to operate it manually and he went to the floor the alarm indicated a problem and as soon as the lift door opened that created a chimney effect and the fire consumed him. There was a made for TV movie called "Fire trapped on the 37th floor" that told this story. The L.A. fire dept ladders only extended upwards to 6thh. floor.
- E Reed, Bournemouth, 14/10/2009 09:15
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