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Murder investigation after three die in Lincolnshire house fire Murder investigation after three die in Lincolnshire house fire
(about 5 hours later)
Police have launched a murder investigation after three people died in a house fire in Lincolnshire. Police have launched a domestic-related murder investigation after three people died in a house fire in Lincolnshire that two women managed to escape from.
Emergency services were called to a house in Kirton shortly before 3am on New Year’s Day. Lincolnshire police said they could not yet name the three people who died. One jumped from a window at the back of the house while firefighters tackled the fire, according to those nearby, while another was rescued by neighbours as emergency services arrived at the house in Kirton, near Boston, at around 3am on 1 January.
The force confirmed it was treating the fire as a domestic-related murder investigation and was not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident. Three as yet unidentified British people, a woman aged 27 and two men aged 24 and 32, were found dead after the fire was extinguished, police said, adding that they were not looking for anyone else in connection with the fire.
“It will take some time to formally identify them, but at this time we believe we know who they are and their families have been notified, and family liaison officers are in contact with them,” a police statement said. Neighbours came to the aid of those trapped inside the detached house when they saw flames shooting through the roof.
The force also appealed for witnesses, saying the investigation was being conducted by officers from the east Midlands specialist operations unit alongside Lincolnshire officers. John Holland, 68, who lives opposite, was woken by his Jack Russell barking some time after 2am. “When I looked through the window, I could see flames reflecting in the windows,” he said. “So I quickly got dressed, went outside, and then I saw the fire in the big upstairs front bedroom window, on the left. The flames were coming up through the roof and it was well ablaze.”
Supt Di Coulson said: “This is a tragic crime and our thoughts are with the family and friends of those involved. We are in contact with the families and will ensure that this is a thorough investigation as we try and understand what happened.” He said: “There was no smoke in the downstairs, and we could see a lady in the downstairs window. So me and this other chap, we rushed over to the front door and we were telling the woman, ‘Open the door’.
Images showed the house with much of the roof destroyed. “She said, ‘I can’t find the key’, so we looked around, I picked up a brick and we smashed the plate glass in the porch. We knocked all the sharp edges off and dragged her through and out.”
He added that the woman was extremely distressed, telling neighbours, police and firefighters there were still people inside. “She said, ‘There’s somebody upstairs’ but then, just as she did, the whole roof above the upstairs bedroom caved in,” Holland said. “It spread and really got going then, all across the upstairs. It was really quick.”
Holland said another woman escaped by jumping from a window as firefighters battled the blaze. The fire caused every window on the upper floor to shatter and for part of the first floor wall to completely collapse. Both women have now been discharged from hospital.
Lincolnshire police appealed for witnesses and for anyone with information about the occupants of the address to contact them. A spokesman said: “It will take some time to formally identify them but at this time we believe we know who they are and their families have been notified and family liaison officers are in contact with them.
“We can confirm that we are treating this as a domestic-related murder investigation, but we are not looking for anyone else in connection with this.”
Neighbours told Lincolnshire Live they heard explosions and thumping when the fire took hold. David Brown said: “I went over this morning to see how the house was and I think they are probably going to have to pull it down … It is a devastating thing to happen in this community.”Neighbours told Lincolnshire Live they heard explosions and thumping when the fire took hold. David Brown said: “I went over this morning to see how the house was and I think they are probably going to have to pull it down … It is a devastating thing to happen in this community.”
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