Woman Dies After Accidentally Using Wrong Type Of Oil To Cook Chips

A woman died from inhaling poisonous smoke after accidentally using lubricating oil instead of cooking oil to make chips.

Mrs Oldfield rang Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service on 6 March at around 7pm and told the call handler her house was filled with smoke and she couldn't find her way out.

Three fire engines arrived at the scene, alongside police and paramedics.

Mrs Oldfield was told to wait upstairs while the firefighters tackled the fire and ventilated downstairs to make it safe.

The firefighters then escorted Mrs Oldfield out of the property and she was taken to the hospital for checks.

According to the inquest, it at first seemed as though she had not suffered serious injury in the fire, but Dr Marco Giovannelli, a consultant at Royal Derby Hospital, said her condition badly deteriorated over the coming days.

Over the next few days, Mrs Oldfield began to experience a cough and a sore throat.

Tragically, she was moved to end-of-life care on 16 March and died two days later.

An examination of her brain showed that Mrs Oldfield had early signs of dementia.

The oil Mrs Oldfield mistakenly used is designed to stop squeaks, clean and prevent rust - it's not suitable for cooking or eating.

Assistant coroner Emma Serrano, who led the inquest at Derby Coroner's Court, said: "Mrs Oldfield put 3-In-One oil on her chips, which is different from cooking oil.

"She turned on the hob and went into the front room and fell asleep. The room filled with white smoke, which she inhaled.

"She woke up and called the fire service who managed to get her out of the address but sadly the damage had already happened. She did not recover and sadly passed away."

Her cause of death was given as pneumonia and smoke inhalation. It was ruled as death by misadventure.