Woman and three children die after blaze rips through family home in Merseyside
Emergency services were called to the semi-detached house on Stone Square at around 3.40am today
A woman and three children have died in a house fire in Merseyside.
Listen to this article
Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service said crews were called to the blaze at a semi-detached house in Stone Square in Bootle, Sefton, at about 3.45am on Tuesday.
Speaking at the scene, Chief Fire Officer Nick Searle said four people had died and another person had been taken to hospital in the “intense fire which spread very rapidly”.
On Tuesday morning, the street was cordoned off by police and fire officers could be seen knocking on doors of neighbouring homes.
Fire engines could be seen arriving and leaving the scene.
Read more: ‘Obsessed’ boy, 14, repeatedly stabbed schoolgirl because 'she rejected him for a date'
Read more: Dozens of Kent residents near fire-hit Folkestone hotel evacuated over safety fears
One neighbour, who did not want to be named, said: “We all came out on the front and we could see smoke coming over from the houses.
“The sirens woke me up and there were fire engines in the street.”
Another woman said: “I heard shouting in the early hours but I just thought someone was having an argument, then I came downstairs and saw all the fire engines.”
Six fire engines were on scene at the height of the fire and eight firefighters entered the house, which was well alight when they arrived, to search for occupants and tackle the blaze, a fire service spokesman said.
This is a breaking news story.