Lynda Greenwood inquest: Yorkshire solicitor died in house fire started by candle while trying to save her five dogs

An inquest at North Yorkshire Coroner’s Court heard that Lynda Greenwood, 67, died at her home, Maltings, in Brearton near Knaresborough on the evening of April 2, shortly after ending a phone call with her sister-in-law.

The founding partner of Knaresborough law firm Greenwoods had earlier lit a candle given to her as a gift while her daughter Camilla was visiting the house – and a fire service investigation established that the candle was responsible for the blaze which ‘rapidly’ took hold of the property.

Mrs Greenwood’s body was found on the ground floor beside a door to the kitchen from the hallway, but she was not near the closest exit and seemed to be heading towards the conservatory at the other end of the house, where her four Yorkshire terriers and a Romanian rescue dog slept in their own room.

Two neighbours managed to enter the conservatory area and rescue three of the dogs, but Mrs Greenwood died at the scene from smoke inhalation.

Although Mrs Greenwood’s sister-in-law Samantha Nattrass heard the dogs barking during their 45-minute call, which she described as ‘unusual’, investigators ruled out the possibility that one of the pets had entered the living room and knocked over the candle, which was on a coffee table, and concluded it was more likely that a draught from the doorway had blown an item such as paper into the flame. Mrs Greenwood stored a large amount of combustible material, including kindling, near the open fire in the room, though this was not lit at the time.

The fire service believed that Mrs Greenwood had been unaware of the flames and smoke, which would have been noticeable if she had been downstairs, because she was speaking to Mrs Nattrass on an iPad which was found in the main bedroom. The conversation ended at 9.21pm and by 10.05pm, when neighbours called 999, the entire house was alight.

Both the fire investigators and North Yorkshire Police ruled out third party involvement as there was no sign of breaking and entering or any traces of an accelerant, though her doors were unlocked.

The inquest heard that Mrs Greenwood, who was divorced, bought Maltings, a former bungalow which had been extended, in 2004 and had lived there alone since her daughter moved out and her parents, who lived in a garden annexe, died in 2021. The fire was the second at the property after a blaze started by a faulty boiler damaged the kitchen, which had to be rebuilt, in 2016.

Camilla Greenwood, a lawyer who is now a director of her mother’s firm, said that Mrs Greenwood was ‘not really a fan’ of candles and normally did not appreciate receiving them as gifts. She described her as ‘capable, intelligent, energetic and organised’.

A statement was also given by neighbour Richard Crosby, who said Mrs Greenwood was ‘daft as a brush, someone who did a lot for the village and church, was helpful and stood out from the crowd’.

Recording a conclusion of accidental death, area coroner Catherine Cundy said: “Lynda had had foot surgery and was in a protective boot, and this could have been a form of encumberence. Some alcohol was found in her bloodstream consistent with her enjoying a relaxing evening with her daughter, and there could have been some level of disorientation caused by this.

"I find that the unattended candle was the most likely source of the fire, but a lot of features of this case are difficult to account for. The fire spread incredibly quickly.”