A woman and three children have died following a house fire in Bootle, Merseyside. Emergency services responded to the incident at a semi-detached residence on Stone Square shortly before 3:45 a.m. local time.

Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service reported that four individuals were found unresponsive in an upstairs bedroom. Two members of the North West Ambulance Service’s Hazardous Area Response Team confirmed that all four had died at the scene. A fifth person, who was outside the property when crews arrived, was taken to hospital with burn injuries.

Chief Fire Officer Nick Searle described the fire as "intense," noting that it spread rapidly throughout the home. Firefighters worked alongside Merseyside Police to carry out a joint investigation into the blaze’s cause, which has yet to be determined.

Authorities have not released further details about the victims or the circumstances leading to the fire as the inquiry continues.