'Wave of sadness' in community as boy, 4, dies after house fire which also killed his dad who 'ran in to save him'

A 'wave of sadness' washed over a community in Wigan after a four-year-old boy died as a result of the catastrophic injuries he sustained in a house fire.

Emergency services responded to reports of the blaze on Warrington Road fire at around 2.30am on Sunday (April 14). The fire, that started in the kitchen, then spread up to the roof of the home

Six people were inside the family home at the time. Five initially escaped, with 45-year-old Barry Mason tragically killed in the blaze.

READ MORE Four-year-old boy dies from injuries after horrific Wigan house fire which killed his father

The brave dad 'ran back into the burning house to save his little boy', his son, Ethan Mason, who was rushed to hospital in a critical condition from the scene. Little Ethan, who was fighting for his life in an induced coma, died in hospital on Tuesday morning (April 16).

At the scene of the tragedy, bouquets of flowers were laid outside the house along with handwritten tributes and a child's Spiderman cushion. The fatal incident has left those living nearby 'devastated'.

"There's been a huge wave of sadness," said one woman, who lives with her family along Warrington Road. "People can say what they want about this place, but the community comes together.

"They're a beautiful family. It must be so horrific what they're going through."

Another man who lives a few doors away said: "We slept straight through it, but saw all the fire engines in the morning. It's devastating.

"I didn't know the family - I've seen them through passing and said hi a few times, but they kept themselves to themselves. It is so sad."

"We were away on holiday at the time," said a woman who lived near St Paul's Avenue. "Hearing about what has happened is awful. The fact the dad went back in to save him... god it's just so sad."

Following initial enquiries into the fire, officers do not believe that there are any suspicious circumstances involved. Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue are continuing to investigate the causes of the fire and are working with police.

The Manchester Evening News understands the family-of-six were inside the house when it erupted into flames. One woman was rescued by fire crews from a first-floor window as the home burnt down around her.

A GoFundMe page, set up by Ethan's auntie Jessica to support the family through the tragedy said Ethan had undergone surgery and was in an induced coma with significant burns injuries before he died.

Detective Inspector Lee Gridley, from GMP’s Wigan district, said: “This is a devastating incident and all of our thoughts are with the family of this young boy, who had his entire life ahead of him.

“Together with the earlier death, this is a tragedy for the Wigan community and I know that many people will be shocked by this heartbreaking news. I hope people will join us in sending their absolute best wishes to all those involved in this incident, as they begin their journey in the healing process.

“While we are not treating the incident as suspicious, if anyone has any information they believe is important, please do get in touch with us. You can do this by calling police on 101, quoting log 393 of 14/04/2024.”