A Kerry coroner has warned the owner of a rental property to install a heat alarm rather than a smoke alarm in the kitchen after a tenant died of smoke inhalation and exposure to carbon monoxide poisoning in the sittingroom of the house in which he was renting a room in Killarney.
Audrius Kiaune (28), from Lithuania, had been cooking on the grill of the cooker in the house at Countess Grove, Killarney, but had probably fallen asleep in the adjoining sittingroom, some time between October 6th and October 7th last. The smoke alarm in the kitchen did not have a battery and arson was not suspected, the inquest into his death heard yesterday.
South Kerry coroner Terence Casey said smoke alarms in kitchens were "useless" as cooking too easily set them off and people then removed the batteries.
He made a general recommendation that regulations be brought in "to make it compulsory" to install heat alarms in rented houses. He also recommended that owners be obliged to carry out "at least" monthly inspections of the smoke and heat detectors in their properties.
Solicitor Pádraig O'Connell, who represented the relatives of Mr Kiaune, a chef at the Malton Hotel, Killarney, had asked the coroner to bring in the rider.
On the morning of Sunday, October 7th, Philip Cullinane, who also rented a room in the house with two other tenants he had never met, got up to find the power in the plugs had gone. Only the lights were working.
He noticed a couch was across the sittingroom door and saw someone lying on it. He noticed no sign of fire and did not smell anything unusual.
Garda Dan O'Sullivan told of forcing the sittingroom door open that evening. "The body was completely covered in soot, as was the room," he said.
Det Garda James Kennedy said the source of the fire, smoke and poisonous fumes was the grill in the cooker. "Unfortunately the battery was missing from the smoke alarm in the kitchen."
Toxicology reports showed a blood-alcohol reading of 195mg, and carbon monoxide saturation of 77 per cent. There was no burning to the body.
Mr Casey said exposure to high concentrations of carbon monoxide led to rapid death. It had "a drink-and-drug effect".
The jury brought in a verdict of accidental death.