Man who died in house fire had been smoking in bed, inquest told

Andrius Cirtautas had also been drinking heavily, which contributed to him being unaware of the blaze in Tooley Street taking hold.

Lincs Fire and Rescue said the cigarrettes used appeared to be sub-standard.

Mr Cirtautas lived at the address with his stepfather, who escaped from the unfolding tragedy.His body was found by firefighters' in a first-floor bedroom.The fire started at around midday on May 10 last year, the hearing at Boston Coroner's Court on Tuesday, June 28, was told.A neighbour, James Royal, spotted black smoke coming from the house and called 999.He then went into the street and saw a man come out of the property blackened by soot and with his hair singed.

A post mortem found that Mr Cirtautas had 319 milligrams of alcohol per litre of blood in his system. For comparison, the drink-drive legal limit is 80.

It was stated that the cause of death was inhalation of smoke, with a contributory factor being intoxication with alcohol.

A report by Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue said the two occupants were asleep when the fire broke out.

It added: “There was evidence to suggest that [Mr Cirtautas] didn’t dispose of his cigarettes appropriately.

“These appear to be cigarettes not to the usual standard that self-extinguish.”

The report author was unable to speak to Mr Cirtautas's stepfather as he had been taken to hospital and discharged himself the following day without confirming his living arrangements.

The fire and rescue officer said: “I have concluded that the deceased fell asleep on his bed while smoking. The cigarette has fallen on to the floor next to bed and eventually started the fire.

“It took his life before consuming bedroom one and spreading to bedroom two, causing smoke damage to the remainder of the first floor.”

Mr Cooper concluded that Mr Cirtautas’s death was as the result of an accident.