Four members of Brabin family die in Bootle house fire

Four members of the Brabin family died after a rapidly spreading house fire at their home in Stone Square, Bootle, on September 22, emergency services said. The dead were identified as Elisha Brabin, 36, and her children Leo, 16, Ellis, 8, and Prudence, 7. Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service said crews were called at about 3:30 a.m. and found the semi-detached house well alight. Six fire engines attended. Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus entered the property and found four people in an upstairs bedroom with no signs of life, the service said. Police later confirmed the deaths. A person found outside the home was taken to hospital, according to the fire service. The supplied accounts do not establish the person’s identity or provide an update on their condition. Reports that the children’s father tried to enter the burning home by breaking windows were attributed to neighbours and local accounts and have not been independently established. Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service and Merseyside Police are conducting a joint investigation to establish the cause of the fire. The cause remains undetermined.