Hero neighbour smashed glass with bat to rescue boy, 4, from house blaze which killed parents & left brother in hospital

A HERO neighbour smashed glass with a bat to rescue a four-year-old boy from a house blaze which killed his parents and left his brother in hospital.

Firefighters scrambled to the fire on a residential street near Blackpool Tower at around 2.30am yesterday morning.

A woman in her twenties was pronounced dead at the scene and a man in his twenties died shortly after being taken to hospital.

Two children have been taken to hospital, one of whom is in a “very poorly condition”.

Neighbour Kara-Marie Pearson said her partner Jake Hartill rescued the child by smashing through the door with a baseball bat.

Kara-Marie said: “If he hadn’t got that little boy out, he’d be dead.

“I heard this almighty bang and I looked out my bedroom window and the whole downstairs was literally in flames.

“You couldn’t even see it, it was pure orange. It was like an explosion.

“All I could hear was the dad screaming out, ‘Help! Help! Help!’ Me and my partner, we ran down.

“Jake got a bat and smashed the window in the door. As he smashed it, the little boy was behind it.

“He lifted him out of the fire and got him out, while the dad was still screaming upstairs.

“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. It was like a wildfire, you can’t explain how them flames were.”

Four fire engines scrambled to the burning home in the early hours of yesterday morning.

Fire crews used three hose reels, six breathing apparatus, and two positive pressure ventilation fans to fight the blaze.

Cops are probing the cause of the fire but have not yet made any arrests.

Ch Supt Mike Gladwin said: “This incident has resulted in two people losing their lives.

“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.”