Three died from smoke inhalation in station house fire, inquest openings told

Three people, including a mother and her four-year-old daughter described as “two peas in a pod”, died of smoke inhalation in a blaze at a historic former station house, their inquest openings heard.

Emergency services were called to reports of a large fire at a property in Beswick Close, off Station Road, in Rushton, near Kettering, Northamptonshire, at around 10.30pm on March 28.

Senior coroner Anne Pember opened the inquests into the deaths of Emma Conn, 30, her daughter Mayci Fox, and Louie Thorn, 23, at Northampton Coroner’s Court on Thursday.

She told the court the provisional cause of death is inhalation of smoke, pending further tests.

Ms Conn and her daughter, both from Desborough, and Mr Thorn, from Rushton, were named by police as the victims although police said formal identification had not taken place at that stage.

A 54-year-old man from Kettering was arrested on suspicion of murder the day after the fire, but was released with no further action.

Northamptonshire Police have since concluded the fire was not suspicious.

Ms Pember said: “I now open the inquests touching on the deaths of Mayci Fox, Emma Conn and Louie Thorn, who all died in a house fire at Station House, in Station Road, Rushton, on March 28 of this year.

“I adjourn these inquests to October 9, 2025. The bodies at this stage are not released.”

Ms Conn’s relatives said in tribute to her: “She was the most incredible, wonderful mum, who was fiercely loyal and very protective of all those she loved, especially her family.”

Mayci’s father said after her death: “Mayci Marion Georgina Fox arrived in the world in a last-minute rush, starting the way she meant to go on, as a whirlwind.”

Mr Thorn’s mother described him as “the purest of humans” and added: “I genuinely believe he was too precious for this world and that’s why God took him so young.”