One woman has died and a man is in serious condition after a house fire.

Police were called to Hill Street in Blackpool at 12.49am today (July 6) after a fire broke out in the top floor of a property.

A number of people managed to escape the property before emergency services arrived.

A woman in her 40s was treated at the scene but despite the best efforts of the emergency services, she was sadly pronounced deceased at Blackpool Victoria Hospital.

A man in his 50s was taken to Wythenshaw Hospital where he remains in a serious but stable condition.

Three others aged 26, 13 and 16 were also taken to hospital. Their condition is not described as life threatening. Another child aged 15 was uninjured.

A spokesperson for the fire service said that six fire engines from Blackpool, Bispham, St Annes, Fulwood and South Shore along with the drone team and the aerial ladder platform from Preston attended the incident. Several neighbouring properties were evacuated.

A joint investigation between the police and fire service is underway to establish the cause of the fire but at this time it is not being treated as suspicious.

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101, quoting log 0059 of July 6, 2022.