Heartfelt tributes have been paid to a “beautiful” couple who tragically lost their lives in a devastating fire, which also left their 18-month-old son in a coma. Josh Pearson, 28, and Danielle Bamber, 24, died after flames engulfed their terraced home in Blackpool, Lancashire.
Their two young children were rescued and taken to hospital thanks to the heroic actions of a neighbour who smashed windows to save them. Firefighters attended the scene in Peter Street in the early hours of Wednesday.
Danielle was pronounced dead at the scene, while Josh succumbed to his injuries in hospital. Their six-year-old son Oscar is said to be in a stable condition in hospital, but friends revealed on Thursday that Lorenzo, just 18 months old, is currently in a coma.
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In a heartfelt outburst, Josh’s sister Jacqueline Pearson paid tribute to her brother as the “best brother ever” and honored the couple as “beautiful angels” in a heartfelt social media post. “I feel sick inside writing this Joshua, you were the best brother ever. I love you so much. I can’t believe this happened to you.”
“I will never forget our phone call the other day and how much we laughed. I will cherish our memories forever! I love you forever and ever. Danielle, you will be missed terribly! I am so sorry this happened to you both! I love you both so much! Rest in peace, my beautiful angels,” reports Live launches.
Codie Lee, a close friend of Danielle’s, 24, described Danielle and Josh as “bubbly and caring” people, saying their families were “absolutely heartbroken” by their tragic loss. She said: “I knew Danielle from 6th grade, when we went to school together, causing chaos together, until she grew up and became a parent. Danielle and Josh were a couple.
“They both died in the house fire, leaving their 18-month-old in a coma and their six-year-old stable but hospitalized. They were both loud, bubbly, outgoing, always laughing and caring people at heart, always creating memories with the children.”
Danielle had returned from holiday in Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands after hearing the devastating news and was still grappling with the reality of the situation.
She added: “I honestly can’t understand what’s happened… I’ve just arrived back in the UK today and I have another flight to catch. My head is in the clouds, I’ve been crying the whole flight and I can’t think of anything. It’s a massive shock, you never expect something like this to happen, again both sides of the family are heartbroken.”
Chief Superintendent Mike Gladwin, of Lancashire Police, said the force was keeping an “open mind” about the fire and no arrests had been made.
“This incident resulted in the deaths of two people and my thoughts are with their loved ones at this extremely difficult time,” he said.
“I know this tragic news will be met with great sadness in the local community and people will want immediate answers. However, some grieving loved ones are still trying to come to terms with this devastating news. With this in mind, I would ask for patience and avoid unnecessary and disturbing speculation.”
A local resident said he was woken up by screams and a loud noise, and was initially unsure what was happening.
“I woke up because I heard screams and a loud noise, but I didn’t know what was happening at first. A neighbor broke a window to get one of the children out of the house. It’s horrible.”
Images taken after the fire show the extensive damage caused by the blaze. The house is badly charred, with smoke damage and exposed brickwork. A crowdfunding campaign started by Codie has already raised more than £1,300 to support the family as they grieve their loss.
