Eight-year-old girl second to die after 'suspicious' Huddersfield house fire

An eight-year-old girl has become the second victim of a house fire which also killed a woman.

Firefighters from four stations were called to Leeds Road in Huddersfield at 2.18am on Wednesday morning.

A 31-year-old woman and two girls, aged eight and ten, were rescued from the property and treated at the scene before being taken to hospital.

The woman died on Wednesday morning. Police confirmed on Wednesday afternoon that the eight-year-old had also lost her life.

A 10-year-old girl remains in hospital in a critical condition.

The fire is being treated as suspicious, but police say they are not looking for anyone else. 

Richard Bartley, who lives across the road, saw the incident unfold.

He said: "The front door blew through and I could see flames coming from the upstairs windows, at the top of the staircase. In five minutes the fire brigade turned up and were straight in the house. They did an absolutely fantastic job, pulled the people out."

He added: "It was absolutely awful to look at, it was like something from a TV programme. A woman and two children - absolutely shocking. Not what normally happens round here, absolutely awful. It's really sad that something like this has happened."

Det Ch Insp James Entwistle, of the West Yorkshire Police Homicide and Major Enquiry Team, said: “Our thoughts go out to everyone affected by this tragic incident. Specially trained officers are supporting the family. 

“Whilst we are not currently looking for anyone else in connection with the incident, we are still keen to speak to anyone who was in the area this morning, who may have seen something to come forward with information."

ITV Calendar reporter Jonathan Brown at the scene

The scene on Leeds Road in Huddersfield is one of devastation.

The roof of the semi-detached property has been largely destroyed, windows are smashed and hanging from their frames, the walls are charred black.

Behind a police cordon lies discarded medical kit - gloves, tubes and other paraphernalia which give an indication of the desperate attempts to save the three people who were inside at the time.

Forensic experts are carrying out their investigations, trying to establish what happened here.

Among neighbours there is a sense of shock at what has unfolded.

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