Two children die in house fire in Cambridgeshire

Around 40 firefighters tried to put out flames

Two children have died in a house fire in Eynesbury in St Neots, Cambridgeshire. 

The blaze broke out at about 7am on Thursday morning at a house on Buttercup Avenue.

Police say that a 3-year-old boy and a 7-year-old boy were “pronounced dead at the scene.”

Other occupants of the house included a 35-year-old woman and a 46-year-old man. According to Cambridgeshire Police, the woman has been taken to hospital with “life-changing injuries.” The police also reported that the man has “suffered minor injuries.”

Investigations involving both the police and the fire service are still ongoing to determine the cause of the fire.

Emergency services arrived at the building on Thursday morning and reported flames “issuing from the building.” These included the fire service, the police and ambulance service as well as the East Anglian Air Ambulance.

Cambridgeshire Chief Fire Officer, Chris Strickland, said it was: “one of the toughest incidents you can attend as a firefighter.”

Around 40 firefighters from the Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire area were sent to the three-storey house. 

“Crews fought tirelessly to get the fire under control and locate the children, who they were told were still in the house,” Mr Strickland said.

He added that they were “looking after the crews who were there” and would be in the local community over the coming days “providing support to residents.”

Tributes have been left near the house (PA)

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service this morning shared their condolences on Twitter saying: “Today the thoughts of everyone here are with the family and friends of the two young children who died in the house fire in St Neots yesterday.”

Floral tributes and soft toys have started to pile up near the house.

Charles Cooper, a neighbour said: "The flames went up fairly swiftly” and that "it took a good three or four hours before the smoke abated.” He added that “the flames were coming out of the top window.”

Another neighbour, Peter Kellythorn, said that when he awoke there was a smell "like something might be smouldering."

He said that a satellite dish on the house seemed to have melted saying it was “awful” and that the heat “doesn’t bear thinking about.”

A neighbour has set up a GoFundMe page with a target of £1,000. By Friday lunchtime it had reached more than £3,000.