00:01Flowers, balloons and soft toys have been left at the scene of a house fire in which a woman and
00:07three children died.
00:09Four people were found dead inside the Stone Square property in Bootle, while another person was taken to hospital with
00:16burns.
00:17The investigation now involves both Merseyside Police as well as Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service,
00:24with firefighters and officers working to establish what happened inside the semi-detached house.
00:31The fire service said the victims were a woman and three children, and their next of kin had been informed.
00:38A fifth casualty was outside the property when crews arrived and was taken to hospital.
00:43Police and fire investigators are working together to establish the cause.
00:47Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service Chief Fire Officer Nick Searle delivered a statement from the scene on Tuesday.
00:56Firstly, our thoughts are with everyone who's been affected by the tragic incident this morning.
01:02After a 999 call to Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service Fire Control Room at 3.30am this morning,
01:09crews from surrounding stations were informed and mobilised to the scene, with the first fire engine arriving at 3.45am.
01:18The initial fire crews arrived to find a semi-detached house well alight.
01:23Crews were wearing breathing apparatus, entered the building to search the property for occupants
01:28and fight an intense fire which had spread very rapidly.
01:32Six fire engines were in attendance at the height of the incident.
01:36On arrival of the fire crews, a casualty was already outside of the property
01:40and was taken into the care of North West Ambulance Service and subsequently transferred to hospital.
01:47During the course of the search of the property, firefighters discovered four casualties,
01:52showing no signs of life, and it's now been confirmed that all four have tragically lost their lives.
01:58There will now be a full joint investigation with Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service and Merseyside Police
02:04into the cause of the fire.
02:06Our thoughts remain with the loved ones of those lost,
02:09and fire crews will maintain a visible and reassuring presence in the community over the coming days.
02:17Sefton Council Leader Marion Atkinson expressed condolences on behalf of the local authority.
02:22She said,
02:23This is a truly devastating incident that I know will have shocked and saddened people across our communities.
02:30On Wednesday morning, a number of floral tributes were laid next to a police cordon closing off access to the
02:35road.
02:36Candles had been placed on the pavement, along with pink and blue star-shaped balloons.
02:42Soft toys, including Minecraft and Star Wars characters, were also laid at the scene.
02:47One card had the message,
02:49God bless you all, heartbroken to hear about the devastating fire.
02:53Another said,
02:54Sleep tight, forever in our hearts.
