Man broke down door to save boy, 4, from house fire which killed parents

A woman has shared how her partner smashed through a front door to save a four-year-old boy from a house fire.

The fire brigade was called to a home in Peter Street, Blackpool in the early hours of this morning following reports of a house on fire with people inside.

Lancashire Police have now confirmed that a woman in her 20s was found dead at the scene, while a man, also in his 20s, was pronounced dead at Blackpool Victoria Hospital.

Two children have been hospitalised – and one has been described as being in ‘a very poorly condition’.

And the force has since said the man and woman lived inside the home, and they were parents to the two injured children.

Kara-Marie Pearson told how her partner, Jake Hartill – who did not want to speak to reporters – saved the four-year-old boy from the flames after smashing a glass panel in the front door of the house.

The couple, who live on the same street, were woken up at around 2.30am by an ‘almighty bang’ and saw the entire downstairs of the house was engulfed in flames.

She said: ‘All I could hear was the dad screaming out “Help! Help! Help!”

‘Me and my partner, we’ve ran down, the first thing he’s done is, he’s got a bat and he’s smashed the window in the door and as he’s smashed it, the little boy was behind it, he’s lifted him out and got him out, while the dad’s still screaming upstairs.

‘When he smashed the window the boy was stood there, he’s had to lift him out from the fire.

‘His skin was red hot, it were burning. Once we moved the little boy to safety the whole windows just smashed, just blew. We all had to stand back because the flames came right out.

‘And obviously Dad had stopped shouting at this point, so smoke must have got to him.

‘Obviously the fire brigade and that just come, but we could only get that little boy out. Mum, dad and the baby, we couldn’t get out it was too dangerous.’

Kara-Marie and her partner took the ‘traumatised’ young boy to a neighbour’s house before he was then taken to hospital.

Chief Superintendent Mike Gladwin said: ‘This incident has resulted in two people losing their lives and my thoughts are with their loved ones at this extremely distressing time.

‘I know this tragic news will be met with great sadness in the local community and people will want instant answers.

‘However, there are grieving loved ones still trying to come to terms with this devastating news.

‘With that in mind, I would ask for patience and that people avoid unhelpful and upsetting speculation.’

Police have evacuated a small number of homes while they investigate alongside the fire service, and say that nobody has been arrested in connection with the blaze.

A Lancashire Fire and Rescue spokesperson said: ‘At 2:35am, four fire engines from Blackpool, South Shore, and Bispham fire stations attended a fire involving a domestic property on Peter Street in Blackpool.

‘Crews used three hose reels, six breathing apparatus, and two positive pressure ventilation fans to fight the fire. One fire engine remains at the scene.

‘Tragically, a woman in her 20s was found deceased at the scene. A man in his 20s was later pronounced deceased at Blackpool Victoria Hospital.

‘Our thoughts are with their loved ones at this devastating time.

‘Two children have been taken to hospital for treatment. One of them is very poorly.

‘Work is ongoing with our colleagues from Lancashire Police to establish the cause of the fire.

‘We would ask anyone who saw or captured anything suspicious on their CCTV, doorbell or dashcam in the Peter Street area in the early hours of this morning to call 101 or report it via the Lancashire Police website.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.