Blaze rescue woman had stab wounds
Shock at attempted murder probe as man and tot also suffer from burns
NEIGHBOURS have spoken of their shock after a woman was rescued from a house fire with stab wounds.
Emergency services were called to a house on Burnley Road in Loveclough on Sunday, July 30 following a fire where a man, woman and a 23-month-old girl were inside.
Police said all three occupants were taken to hospital and the woman, 25, was found to have suffered a number of serious stab wounds.
All three occupants were also suffering burns and officers described their conditions as ‘poorly’.
A 39-year-old man was later arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
Yvonne Leigh, who is the landlady of the house where the incident hap- pened, said she was alerted by a neighbour and helped police carry a baby girl out of the property. She told the Free Press: “I’m absolutely shocked. A neighbour came round to my house saying they could smell smoke.
“I got a spare key and ran to the house and knocked on the door hard. I could hear the fire alarm going off and a vague smell of smoke.
“The police arrived and when they were getting everyone out they handed me the baby before someone came and wrapped her in a towel.
“There must have been about eight police cars, three or four ambulances and a couple of fire engines. I couldn’t sleep all night. It was a shock. You never think things like this will happen to you, they happen to somebody else.”
Graham Blunt, who has lived on the street for six years, said he was alerted by the flashing blue lights and at first thought it was an accident.
He said: “I came downstairs and then saw all the commotion down the road. The police came and shut the road and the ambulance and fire service was here. The blue lights were still flashing until about 4am.
“We are out ‘in the boonies’ up here, halfway between Rawtenstall and Burnley. Nothing seems to happen round here, and then this.”
Christine Hereward said it is ‘unbelievable’.
The Burnley Road resident said: “I saw the police lights flashing through my bedroom window, but I didn’t see or hear anything. I knew something was going on but I didn’t realise it was so serious.
“It’s terrible what’s happened. I’ve a lovely place Loveclough. I’ve lived here for 20 years and never seen anything like it before.
“I’m absolutely shocked and can’t believe it and everybody will feel the same. It’s just unbelievable. I hope she is okay.”
Neighbour Sarah Wilson, who has lived in Loveclough for 14 years, said: “At first I thought it was an ambulance and when I came outside I saw all the forensic people doing their thing.
“I don’t know who the people were in the house. I’ve never seen them or spoken to them before.
“It’s pretty shocking. I hope she is all right.
“You see these kind of things in the paper but you never think you will have to deal with it so close to home.”
A Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said fire crews from Rawtenstall and Burnley were called to the incident at 10.50pm on Sunday, July 30 and extinguished a fire.
No-one was trapped inside the house when the fire crews arrived at the scene.