A young girl has lost her life following a devastating house fire in the Kent village of Hamstreet, with a teenage boy remaining in hospital after the blaze tore through a semi-detached property on Sunday.
Emergency services were alerted to the incident on White Admiral Way, close to Ashford, shortly after midday.
Despite the efforts of neighbours who rushed towards the burning home in a desperate bid to rescue the children inside, the intensity of the flames proved insurmountable.
Kent Fire and Rescue Service confirmed that one child tragically died at the scene, while a second youngster, understood to be a teenage boy, was pulled from the property and transported to hospital for treatment.
A girl died in the horror blaze
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Six fire engines along with a height vehicle were deployed to tackle the ferocious blaze, which had consumed the entire property by the time crews arrived.
The fire service described the incident as an “intense fire” that spread rapidly throughout the home after breaking out around noon on Sunday.
Crews battled to bring the inferno under control as flames engulfed the semi-detached house in the quiet village.
Residents in the surrounding area were urged to keep their windows and doors shut due to heavy smoke emanating from the scene.
Firefighters raced to the scene
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The devastation was evident from the street, where ground floor windows had been completely blown out by the force of the blaze, while festive decorations including a Santa and Rudolph sleigh display lay deflated in the front garden.
Local residents who witnessed the fire breaking out made valiant attempts to reach the children trapped inside but were ultimately driven back by the ferocity of the flames.
One neighbour recounted the harrowing scene, explaining that the fire originated on the ground floor before spreading with alarming speed.
“It started downstairs and spread really quickly,” the witness said. “There was nothing we could do at that point. It was really bad. We were all beaten back.”
The rapid escalation of the blaze left those attempting to help with no option but to retreat and await the arrival of emergency services.
Multiple neighbours reported their desperate efforts to enter the property, only to find the intensity of the fire made any rescue attempt impossible.
Ann Millington, Chief Executive of Kent Fire and Rescue Service, expressed her sympathies following the tragedy.
“Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with everyone affected by this tragic incident, especially the child’s loved ones,” she said.
The fire service acknowledged the distress the incident would cause throughout the local community and announced that a welfare hub had been established at Hamstreet Village Hall to provide support to those affected.
An investigation into what caused the fire to break out is currently underway.
Kent Police confirmed officers were called to the scene at 12.22pm on Sunday and have been assisting fire crews with road closures in the area while the blaze is extinguished.