THE couple whose flat was at the centre of the tower block inferno have apologised to the families of the two firefighters killed in the blaze.

Karl and Kirsty Hoffmann blame themselves for the tragedy at Shirley Towers, which claimed the lives of James Shears and Alan Bannon.

“I blame myself for their deaths,” Kirsty, 21, said.

“It was because our curtains were on fire that they went into my flat and didn’t come back.”

An emotional Karl, 27, added: “I feel sorry for their families. They were very brave to go in there and they didn’t deserve to die. I’m devastated.”

They spoke as an investigation continued into the deaths of Mr Shears, 35, and Mr Bannon, 38.

Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service was still refusing to reveal details of what happened inside the 15-storey tower block in Church Street, Southampton, on Tuesday night.

The firefighters were found unconscious on the ninth floor of the block. One died at the scene and one in hospital despite efforts at resuscitation.

Last night a post-mortem examination, carried out by Home Office pathologist Dr Huw White in Winchester, revealed that the two men had died as a result of “exposure to excessive heat”.

Two other firefighters suffered burns to their hands fighting the fire, which was contained to the one flat. More than 100 residents were evacuated without injury.

A joint fire service and police investigation is continuing to find out what caused the fire in Flat 72 and how the experienced men, from Red Watch based at St Mary’s fire station in Southampton, died.

Young parents Karl and Kirsty, who have a one-year-old son and are expecting their second child in August, described to the Daily Echo the terrifying sequence of events that led to flames engulfing their ninth floor apartment.

The pair, who are both unemployed, moved into Shirley Towers in July. They said the fire started after they left the bottom of their lounge room curtains draped over a 5ft lamp which had been left switched on.

Shortly before 8pm, Kirsty was cooking in the kitchen while Karl was in the front room when they both smelt smoke. Tragically, they ignored the burning smell for about 20 minutes, assuming it must have been wafting in from outside.

Karl eventually went to investigate and was shocked to find his lounge room’s curtain alight. He told Kirsty to get their son, Jordan, out of the flat while he tried to frantically put it out with a bottle of soft drink Dr Pepper.

“I got the other two out while I tried to put it out for about ten minutes. I pulled the curtain off and tried chucking Dr Pepper on it to get it out,” he said.

“But it was back-firing and spreading too quick. It went up like lightning. It was coming up at me fast and I was covered in smoke. I couldn’t see anything and I was panicking because a fire can just come at you.

“I was worried for my family’s welfare and everyone else’s welfare so I tried to do what I could, but it wasn’t happening.

“All I wanted to do at the end of the day was save my life, my wife’s life, my baby’s life and everyone else’s life.”

Kirsty grabbed her son Jordan and fled to safety to her mother’s flat on the 13th floor of the neighbouring tower.

A neighbour dialled 999, while Kirsty returned to the ninth floor to make sure her husband of five months had escaped alive and to retrieve Jordan’s pram.

The first firefighters arrived at the towers at about 8.20pm, but the couple said the crews were initially directed to the wrong floor.

“They went to the seventh floor, but they should have gone to the ninth,” Karl said.

“We shouted: ‘No, no it’s here.’ “Smoke was coming up the stairs and I could hardly breath. I was worried about the baby inside me,” Kirsty added.

“The firemen were there and they got my pushchair out.

“It was so dangerous. The flat was just filled with smoke. I could see half of the front room was on fire and you could hear a crackling noise.

“They were so brave, anyone who went into that flat was brave. They just wanted to save the people that were in the block.”

It was the last time they saw the firefighters. The family fled outside and watched the fire crews battle the blaze. But as the inferno raged, they had no idea that inside two firefighters had lost their lives.

“We didn’t know until the next day, when the police told us,” Kirsty said. “I’m sorry for their loss. I’m sorry for everything. I feel so sorry for their families.”

The couple gave statements to detectives on Wednesday and yesterday afternoon returned to Shirley Towers, just as a wreath laying ceremony was taking place.

The only possessions they have are the clothes they were wearing on Tuesday night. All of Jordan’s toys, as well the family’s clothes, furniture and wedding photographs were destroyed in the fire.

After spending two sleepless nights at a hotel in central Southampton, they have been provided with emergency accommodation by Southampton City Council.

The aftermath from the devastating inferno was clearly visible when the Daily Echo went inside Shirley Towers yesterday.

The stairwell used by the firefighters to reach the blaze still had a strong smell of smoke, some 36 hours after the flames had been extinguished.

On floors seven and above the stairwell was streaked with swathes of black marks, while chipped paint littered the floor.

Water was continuing to drip through the ceilings of the fifth floor, forming puddles on the landings and corridors.

Pints of milk sat uncollected outside the door of one flat on the fifth floor.

Hoses, fans and other firefighting equipment were still on floors five and seven.