Girl, 7, and aunt die in house fire near Middlesbrough; murder probe launched

A seven-year-old girl and her aunt have died in a house fire near Middlesbrough, with police launching a murder investigation and examining whether the blaze could be linked to a deadly crash on the A66 that killed seven people days earlier. The fire broke out at an end-of-terrace property on Birchington Avenue in Grangetown at 5:23 a.m. on Wednesday, August 26, 2026. The victims have been identified locally as Valentina Foster, 7, and her aunt, Natalie McDonald, 34. Cleveland Police confirmed two men, aged 23 and 31, have been arrested on suspicion of murder and remain in custody.