Family killed in Northern Ireland house fire believed to be from Doncaster

Three people killed in a house fire thought to have been started deliberately are believed to be from Doncaster.
Emergency services at the scene of the tragic fire (photo: Brian Lawless/PA Wire)Emergency services at the scene of the tragic fire (photo: Brian Lawless/PA Wire)
Emergency services at the scene of the tragic fire (photo: Brian Lawless/PA Wire)

At least three people are confirmed to have died in the blaze in Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, and a 27-year-old man detained at the scene is being quizzed on suspicion of murder.

Sinn Fein councillor Barry Doherty told the Belfast News Letter the victims were originally from Doncaster and had previously lived in the Republic of Ireland before moving to Fermanagh.

The remains of the house following the fire, which claimed at least three lives (photo: Brian Lawless/PA Wire)The remains of the house following the fire, which claimed at least three lives (photo: Brian Lawless/PA Wire)
The remains of the house following the fire, which claimed at least three lives (photo: Brian Lawless/PA Wire)
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The victims are believed to include a woman and her two children, one a woman aged 20 and the other a teenage boy.

It is understood the 20-year-old woman's infant child may also have been in the house when the fire broke out.

Coun Doherty said it was believed all those who died were from the same family.

He added that the property - an isolated detached bungalow not far from the border - had been rented out and the occupants had been living there for between 12 and 18 months.

The remains of the house following the fire, which claimed at least three lives (photo: Brian Lawless/PA Wire)The remains of the house following the fire, which claimed at least three lives (photo: Brian Lawless/PA Wire)
The remains of the house following the fire, which claimed at least three lives (photo: Brian Lawless/PA Wire)
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Firefighters were called to the blaze on Molly Road at 7.14am today as flames consumed the house, leaving only the smouldering shell of the building standing.

Neighbours used a sledgehammer in a desperate attempt to rescue those trapped inside but were unable to gain access, according to Sinn Fein MP Michelle Gildernew.

She said: "The neighbours are badly shaken. They weren’t able to get into the house.

“As somebody who goes to a house in good faith to try and help people and people die, that is horrendous. It’s hard to take."

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A man, aged 27, was detained at the scene and transferred to hospital for treatment, police said, and was being questioned on suspicion of murder.

Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Detective Superintendent Jason Murphy said: "At this time we believe the fire, which has claimed at least three lives, was started deliberately."