A Deadly Scenario
An oven-top burner has not been turned off fully, which ignites a tea towel. A small fire starts which quickly spreads throughout the kitchen. Smoke soon fills the downstairs living area and sets off smoke alarms. The occupants of the house react and run downstairs to find it smoke filled, with visibility near zero. The front door is deadlocked and the keys cannot be found. The occupants are overcome by fumes and die from asphyxiation.
The Issue
The front security door was deadlocked. The occupants were unable to find the keys to open the door. Given the lack of visibility and the level of panic, the occupants could not find the keys to open the door.