A mother and three children have died following a major house fire in Bootle, Sefton, on Tuesday morning. Emergency services were called to the semi-detached property on Stone Square at approximately 03:45 BST, according to the BBC.
Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service deployed six fire engines to the scene, where crews encountered what Chief Fire Officer Nick Searle described as an “intense fire” that spread rapidly. Eight firefighters entered the building to conduct a search and discovered the four victims in an upstairs bedroom with no signs of life. A fifth person, who was outside the property when emergency responders arrived, was transported to a local hospital for treatment.
The North West Ambulance Service’s hazardous area response team assisted at the scene and confirmed the four fatalities. Merseyside Police have cordoned off the street to facilitate a joint investigation with the fire service into the cause of the blaze. Kevin Longshaw, area manager for the fire service, stated, “We will work closely with relevant colleagues to ascertain the cause of the fire, but in the immediate term, we again extend our sincere condolences to those affected by this tragic incident.”
Local residents reported being awakened by sirens and seeing smoke emanating from the property in the early hours of the morning. Fire crews remained on-site throughout the day to dampen down the area as the investigation into the circumstances of the fire continues.