Tribute to much-loved Huddersfield man killed with partner in Blackpool house fire

Tributes have been paid to a Huddersfield man and his partner who were killed in a house fire in Blackpool.

Joshua Pearson, 28, formerly of Huddersfield, and his partner Danielle Bamber, 24, died in a fire at their home in Peter Street, Blackpool, in the early hours of Wednesday . Danielle died at the scene, while Joshua died a short time later at Victoria Hospital in Blackpool.

Lancashire Police said the couple lived at the address with their two children aged six years and 20 months. The six-year-old was taken to hospital following the fire, but luckily he was not seriously injured. The 20-month-old remains hospitalized in poor condition.

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In a tribute, Joshua’s family said: “Joshua was a much-loved son who will be greatly missed, who adored his girlfriend and children.”

People who knew Joshua took to social media to express their shock and sadness at his death. They remembered him as a funny man who was “one of a kind”.

Danielle’s family released a statement saying: “We as a family are devastated by what happened to Danielle to our daughter and her family.

“Please allow us the respect as a family to grieve in peace and refrain from any further speculation on social media. Please respect our wishes at this time.”

Lancashire Police and the fire service are working to establish the cause of the fire, but said there was so far no evidence it was deliberately started.

Codie Lee, a friend of Danielle’s, set up a Go Fund Me page to raise money for funeral costs. More than 300 people have donated over £4,000 so far. The page can be found here.

Sup. Chief Mike Gladwin said: “My thoughts today are with those affected by this tragic event.

“This is an absolutely heartbreaking incident which has resulted in the loss of two lives and the loss of the parents of two young children. One of those young men remains very ill in the hospital.

“Our work to try to understand exactly what happened to cause this devastating fire is ongoing and when we are in a position to provide further updates we will, but I’m sure people will appreciate that this may take some time time.

“I know the news of this incident will deeply affect people in the local area and further afield and I would like to thank the community for their support and understanding.”

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