Skin creams containing paraffin causing people to catch fire

Skin creams containing paraffin have been linked to dozens of fire deaths across England, BBC has found.

Paraffin creams are usually used for skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis, but if soaked into clothes or bedding can make the fabric flammable.

An investigation by BBC Radio 5 found that since 2010, there have been 37 deaths in England which have been linked back to the creams. The medicine and healthcare products regulatory agency has said that creams containing paraffin should carry a warning.

Christopher Holyoake, 63, who was bed-bound, caught fire when smoking a cigarette. He died and an inquiry into his death said that his bedding was covered with residue from E45 cream, which contains paraffin. The coroner concluded that “there is a risk that future deaths will occur unless action is taken”.



The coroner was also concerned that there was no fire warning on the package of the cream. He said a "highly flammable" label should be added.

Only six fire brigades in England provided information for the report, which detailed 37 fatal incidents, the BBC investigation found.

Borough commander for London’s Wandsworth Fire Station, Darren Munro said, "In four out of the last six fatalities that I’ve personally attended, I would say the emollient cream has had a direct result in the flame spread and the speed at which the fire took hold. The creams themselves aren’t dangerous, it only becomes dangerous when you mix it in with other factors.”

The scale of the issue could be much bigger, some suspect, with people not reporting fires they had been able to put out.

This story originally appeared on BBC