Parents killed and two kids hurt in house blaze

15 minutes ago

By Yunus Mulla & Rachael Lazaro, BBC News, Lancashire

The fire started in the early hours of the morning, police say

BBC/Yunus Mulla A blue forensic tent at the back of a terraced house — The fire started in the early hours of the morning, police say

A man and a woman have died and their two children have been injured in a house fire in Blackpool.

The blaze broke out on Peter Street in the town shortly before 02:40 BST, Lancashire Police said.

Neighbours have described a “wildfire” and “dangerous flames” at the home where the couple, both in their 20s, and their children lived.

One of the children is in a “very poorly condition” in hospital, police said.

Locals say a young boy was pulled out of the house by a neighbour

PA/Peter Byrne A white sheet covers the window of the burned out house after a fatal blaze. Two open windows are open and the upper half of the house is blackened and some blinds appear to be hanging out. — Locals say a young boy was pulled out of the house by a neighbour

The mother died at the scene, while the father was taken to Blackpool Victoria Hospital but he was pronounced dead a short time later.

Kara-Marie Pearson, who lives on the street, has told how her partner saved a young boy from the flames after smashing a glass panel in the front door with a bat.

She said she had heard an “almighty bang” and looked out of her bedroom window and saw “the whole downstairs was literally in flames” so the pair had run out to help.

“You couldn’t even see it, it was pure orange,” she said, adding it “was like a wild fire”.

“All I could hear was the dad screaming out, ‘Help, Help, Help'”

She said once the boy had been pulled out of the house she had taken him to a neighbour’s house with “cuts and burns on him”.

“He was traumatised. He was petrified, he’s only four years old. He fell to the ground,” she said.

“We could only get that little boy out. Mum, dad and the baby, we couldn’t get out – it was too dangerous.”

Some other properties were evacuated while police investigate

PA/Peter Byrne A row of terraced houses with a blackened front of one of them where a fire was. Blackpool Tower can be seen in the background. A police officer in uniform walks near a cordon, with a police car behind. — Some other properties were evacuated while police investigate

Ms Pearson’s sister-in-law, Jade Hartill, who also lives nearby told BBC North West Tonight she “keeps crying” since witnessing the fire.

“It’s something you can’t forget,” she said.

“The dad was shouting, ‘Help, help’ and we couldn’t help because the fire was absolutely crazy.”

She said then it “just went silent”.

“I’ll never get that out my head. It’s just tragic.”

A police officer stands guard on Peter Street

BBC/Yunus Mulla A police officer stands outside the scene of a house fire as a fire truck is seen behind him on the street. Police tape crosses the front of the pic. The houses are Victorian in style with big bay windows. — A police officer stands guard on Peter Street

Detectives, who have not yet released details of the ages of the children, are working with the fire service to establish the cause of the blaze.

The force said it was keeping an “open mind” at this stage about how it started and added there had been no arrests.

A small number of homes have been evacuated while the investigation is carried out.

Officers will leave “absolutely no stone unturned” in the inquiry, Ch Supt Mike Gladwin said.

He said his thoughts were with the family’s loved ones at this “extremely distressing time”.

Flowers have been left outside of the family’s home

BBC/Yunus Mulla Flowers wrapped in pink, yellow and grey lean up against a red brick wall outside the scene of a fatal house fire — Flowers have been left outside of the family’s home

Ch Supt Gladwin said the “tragic news will be met with great sadness in the local community and people will want instant answers” but he warned against “unhelpful and upsetting speculation”.

“There are grieving loved ones still trying to come to terms with this devastating news,” he said.

He appealed for anyone with information or who captured anything on their CCTV, doorbell or dashcam to contact the force.

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