A house fire which led to the death of a Knaresborough solicitor is likely to have been caused by a candle, an inquest heard today.

Lynda Delf Greenwood died at the scene of the fire which destroyed her home in Brearton in April this year.

The inquest heard both police and fire officers conclude that a candle on a coffee table in the living room was thought to have been the origin of the fire.

The fire took hold thanks to wood and other materials near the open fire, which was not lit.

Fire investigator Tony Walker told the inquest:

“It did surprise me a little just how quickly it had spread to the upstairs bedroom which was so badly affected by the fire that it [collapsed] down into the living room.

“When I was speaking to [Mrs Greenwood’s daughter] Camilla, I was informed Lynda kept a large amount of fire lighters and kindling by the side of the fire which may have been feeding the fire.”

Earlier in the week, the court heard, Mrs Greenwood had had an operation on her foot and was wearing a “boot” for support.

However, on the day of the fire, Saturday, April 2, she appeared well and uninhibited by the boot. Camilla had gone shopping and to have beauty treatments in Knaresborough with her mother.

They returned to the house in Brearton where Mrs Greenwood, who was 67, had cooked dinner. Camilla left just after 8pm, having made plans to see her mother the following day for a family event.

Dog barking

The inquest heard Mrs Greenwood then spoke to her sister-in-law, Samantha Nattress, over the phone just after 8.30pm. Mrs Nattress told the hearing there was nothing unusual about the phone call, other than one of Mrs Greenwood’s five dogs barking in the background on two occasions during the 45-minute call.

The phone call ended just after 9.20pm when Mrs Greenwood said she was going to bed.

Neighbours noticed the fire just after 10pm and called the fire service, as well as rushing to the scene to help. Three men went to the conservatory door and rescued the dogs, while also calling into the house for Mrs Greenwood.

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The inquest heard firefighters arrived just a few minutes later. Police and paramedics also attended.

Mrs Greenwood was found lying in the hallway behind the door to the kitchen. She was taken outside into the garden where first firefighters and then paramedics attempted to resuscitate her, but without success.

The Brearton house destroyed in the fatal fire.

Giving evidence at the inquest, DS Louise Pegg said she felt it was likely Mrs Greenwood, having discovered the fire, had been trying to get to the dogs’ room on the other side of the kitchen.

She added:

“I’m led to believe there was quite a lot of furniture in [the house]… Once the fire had taken hold, there was material that was combustible.

“Camilla told me that it’s rare for her mother to use a candle, but on that occasion she had lit a candle.”

Mr Walker said he had also concluded the dogs were in the area next to the conservatory where they were usually kept and that he believed two battery-operated smoke alarms were not working. He added:

“If Lynda had come out of her bedroom door when she first detected that smell of smoke, by that time there would have been a lot of product combustion in that part of the hallway. There will have been a lot of smoke.”

‘Loveable fruitcake’

In statements read out by North Yorkshire area coroner Catherine Cundy, friends and neighbours described Mrs Greenwood as “bubbly” and that she “would help anyone out with anything”. The court heard she was an active member of the community and in the village church and one neighbour said she was “a lovable fruitcake”.

Mrs Greenwood ran her own solicitors’ practice in Knaresborough and, in October 2021, invited neighbour Leighton Williams to join her as a partner in the firm, which he did.

Her daughter Camilla had moved back home after university in December 2020, but left the following year. Mrs Greenwood’s parents had both lived in an annexe next to the house but had died in 2021.

Camilla described her mother as “one of a kind” and “fun to be around” in a statement read to the inquest. She said she was “extremely capable”, “high-functioning” and “organised”. While her mother could seem “a little forgetful” sometimes, Camilla said this was only over minor matters and she loved to organise family occasions.

The court heard a post-mortem examination found evidence of Mrs Greenwood’s prescription medication in her blood, as well as some alcohol, which could have been enough to make her disorientated or cause blurred vision.

There was evidence of toxic levels of carbon monoxide inhalation, the court heard.

Ms Cundy recorded a verdict of accidental death in the fire, most likely caused by the candle.

An inquest into the death of prominent local solicitor Lynda Greenwood heard today that she died of smoke inhalation when her house caught fire.

Ms Greenwood, who founded Greenwoods Solicitors in Knaresborough in 1991, died on April 2 at her home in Brearton. She was 67.

Her home was severely damaged in the blaze, which occurred at about 10pm on a Saturday night.

Assistant coroner Jonathan Leach gave the cause of death at today’s brief opening inquest in Northallerton. He said she was divorced her maiden name was Nattress.

Me Leach added:

“She was at home on April 2 when a fire broke out, as a result of which she died at the scene.”

The inquest was adjourned until a later date.

Ms Greenwood was born in South Shields but grew up in Knaresborough where she attended King James’s School before completing a law degree at Kingston University and becoming a partner in a Surrey law firm.

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After having her daughter, she set up Greenwoods Solicitors in her home town.

A statement on the company’s website says:

“On Saturday 2 April 2022 our colleague, our friend, our Lynda, was taken from us in the most tragic of circumstances.

“Lynda touched the hearts of everyone who met her and we have been overwhelmed by the number of kind messages we have received.”

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue say there are “no suspicious circumstances” surrounding the cause of a house fire in Brearton which left one woman dead.

Lynda Greenwood, 67, was identified locally as the victim of the fire, which gutted the village home late on the evening of Saturday, April 2.

The fire service and North Yorkshire Police launched a joint investigation following the fire.

Emergency services from Harrogate, Knaresborough, Boroughbridge and Ripon were called to the scene at around 10pm but, despite their best efforts, Ms Greenwood was pronounced dead at the scene.

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue said that the service cannot confirm the cause of the fire until a report has been accepted by the coroner.

They said:

“While there are no suspicious circumstances surrounding the cause of the fire, we cannot confirm the cause until the report has been accepted by the coroner – which may take several months.”

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Ms Greenwood grew up in Knaresborough, attending King James’s School while it was still a grammar school in the 1960s. She went on to complete a law degree at Kingston University and practised in Surrey, where she became partner in a law firm.

After having her daughter, she set up Greenwoods Solicitors in her home town. She specialised in commercial property, lasting powers of attorney, wills and probate.

The woman who lost her life in a house fire in Brearton at the weekend was a prominent local solicitor.

Lynda Greenwood, 67, has been identified locally as the victim of the fire, which gutted the village home late on Saturday evening.

She founded Greenwoods Solicitors in Knaresborough in 1991.

The company has confirmed on its website that it will continue to provide legal advice and support to clients, but asked people to bear with the staff during a “very difficult time”.

After posting the news of Ms Greenwood’s death on its Facebook page, the firm received dozens of tributes from friends and clients.

One said:

“Shocking devastating news. A strong intelligent lady with a huge heart, tremendous sense of humour and thirst for life. Gone far too soon. She will be missed immensely.”

Another added:

“We only heard tonight and cannot express how sad we are to hear the tragic news. Lynda was a fab solicitor and a lovely lady – she will be sadly missed by us all. Our sincere condolences to those closest to her.”

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Ms Greenwood grew up in Knaresborough, attending King James’s School while it was still a grammar school in the 1960s. She went on to complete a law degree at Kingston University and practised in Surrey, where she became partner in a law firm.

After having her daughter, she set up Greenwoods Solicitors in her home town. She specialised in commercial property, lasting powers of attorney, wills and probate.

North Yorkshire Police and North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service have launched a joint investigation into the fire which claimed Ms Greenwood’s life. Neighbours in the village called firefighters around 10pm on Saturday but, despite their best efforts, she was pronounced dead at the scene.

Anyone with information about the fire is asked to call North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option two and speak to the force control room, quoting reference 12220056029.