Man killed in house fire identified

A man who died in a house fire has been named by police.

Jason Hickinbottom, 51, was confirmed dead at the scene of the blaze in Tipton West Midlands on Tuesday night, along with a pet dog.

Emergency services attended the severe blaze at the property in Tame Road at around 8.10pm, with two police officers who were passing at the time joining neighbours in trying to help the people who were trapped.

A woman in her 30s was rescued from the house by firefighters and taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation.

An 18-year-old woman, believed to be known to Mr Hickinbottom, was arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life and has since been released on bail.

In a statement, Mr Hickinbottom’s family said: “There are no words that our family can use to describe the sadness and grief we feel at this time.”

Detective Inspector Adam Jobson, who is leading the investigation, said: “This was a traumatic situation for so many people, including neighbours and all emergency services. We’re all very grateful for the support and understanding from people in the area.

“Our investigation is ongoing and the priority now is to support the victim’s family and establish exactly what happened.”

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