Durham couple died in accidental campervan fire at French campsite
David and Pamela Brack, both 81 and from County Durham, died when their campervan caught fire as they slept at a campsite in Castellane, France. An inquest in Durham heard the fire was sparked by the van’s heater; the deaths prompted an investigation and underline the risks of a fire starting in a vehicle overnight.
The blaze broke out in the early hours of 5 September last year at the Huttopia Gorges du Verdon campsite. Their son, parked nearby, tried to rescue them. A post-mortem gave the provisional cause of death as the effects of fire, and French investigators concluded the heater fire was accidental. The inquest was adjourned until 20 July 2027.
- David and Pamela Brack died in a campervan fire in France.
- Investigators identified the van’s heater as the cause.
- Their inquest in Durham will resume in July 2027.
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David and Pamela Brack were an 81-year-old couple from County Durham who died in a campervan fire at a French campsite in September last year. The fire broke out in the early hours at Huttopia Gorges du Verdon campsite in Castellane whilst they slept inside the vehicle.
The fire was accidentally sparked by the campervan's heater, according to French investigators and evidence heard at an inquest in Durham. Their son, who was camping nearby, attempted to rescue them when the blaze broke out.
The incident underlines risks associated with fires in sleeping vehicles overnight, when occupants may not wake in time to escape the flames. Campervans and similar recreational vehicles use heating appliances that can malfunction, as the investigation into this fire established.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Elderly British couple died after a heater sparked fire inside their campervan as they slept in French beauty spot, inquest hears”.