13-Year-Old Girl Died Sleeping After Her Bed was ‘Set on Fire’

A late-night fire that tore through a family home in Prescot, Merseyside, claimed the life of a 13-year-old schoolgirl in a tragedy investigators describe as “deeply disturbing” and “impossible to forget.”

The victim, identified as Layla Allen, was asleep on the top bunk of her bed when flames engulfed her room on April 2. The fire spread so fast that by the time firefighters reached the home, the heat and smoke were already overwhelming.

Her parents and five siblings escaped. Layla did not.

Emergency crews found her motionless on the top bunk. Despite desperate efforts, she was pronounced dead inside the home.

Neighbors later said they woke to frantic screams. One recalled hearing a man yell, “Jump! I’ll get you!” as flames pushed through the bedroom window. But Layla never made it out.

During this week’s inquest, fire investigation officer Ruth Baller-Wilson described a bedroom destroyed by fire. She said the burn pattern told a grim story.

“The fire clearly originated on the top bunk,” she said. “The bedding ignited first. Then the mattress. The open window created a funnel for oxygen that accelerated the blaze.”

She added that Layla was healthy, capable, and physically able to climb down. “This suggests she was asleep when the fire began. There is no indication she was awake or attempting escape.”

Two cigarette lighters were found in the room. Layla’s parents insisted they didn’t belong to them.

While investigators could not determine a definitive cause, Baller-Wilson said it was “more likely than not” that a live flame, such as a lighter, started the fire.

A police source familiar with the case told the inquest, “We can’t rule out anything. Not without interviews from all the children, and those interviews were not permitted.”

Coroner Anita Bhardwaj said officers were unable to interview Layla’s siblings due to concerns over emotional trauma.

“Police have been clear,” she said. “Their investigation was limited. Without statements from all parties, avenues remain closed.”

Merseyside Police confirmed they found no evidence of outside involvement.

Yet the absence of interviews left investigators with more questions than answers.

In a devastating twist, this was not the first fire to gut the family’s home.

The house had burned less than a year earlier, forcing the family to temporarily move out. Layla’s mother had posted photos online after the 2024 blaze, writing that “everything was ruined” and pleading for help to rebuild. A GoFundMe page raised funds, and the family eventually returned to the home in November.

A local resident said, “They’d just gotten back into the house. They thought the worst was behind them.”

Friends, family, and neighbors flooded the street with flowers, teddy bears, candles, and handwritten notes. Many were from children who struggled to understand how someone so full of life could be gone so suddenly.

“Layla was a shining light,” her family wrote in a tribute. “She was funny, charismatic, and quick-witted. A girl who could make you laugh even on your worst day.”

They said she loved TikTok, makeup, and drawing. “She brought brightness into every room. She was cherished beyond words.”

One friend left a note on a bouquet: “I will forever miss you. Fly high, Layla. Thank you for being you.”

Another neighbor told reporters today, “She was a lovely girl. Her mom adored those kids. This has crushed the whole community.”