Second man dies after fire rips through Wolverhampton house

Two men were trapped inside the burning house in Bushbury Road, Oxley, after the blaze started at around 2am on Monday.

Neighbours tried to save them but were forced back by the flames, before fire crews managed to get them out.

Despite efforts by medical teams, one man was pronounced dead at the scene, while the other was taken to hospital where his condition was described as serious.

However, on Monday evening West Midlands Police said the second man has also died, while confirming the first is not being treated as suspicious.

A statement from the force said: "One man was confirmed dead at the scene and other man passed away in hospital later.

"We've worked alongside fire service colleagues to assess the likely cause of the blaze. Following these enquiries we're not treating the fire as suspicious.

"We'll be preparing a full report for the coroner.

"Our thoughts are with those who’ve tragically lost ones today."

Neighbours of the two men were left in shock by the fire, which left the downstairs rooms completely burned out.

One said he heard desperate shouting at around 2am and looked out to see smoke billowing out of a window several doors down.

He said: "We heard a distressed noise and someone shouting 'Come on, get out, there's a fire' at around 2am, and then I saw the amount of smoke and realised how bad the fire was.

"The man next door had already got his family of six out and we went round the back to try and get the doors and windows open, but they were locked and the fire was too fierce for us to do much before the emergency services arrived."

He described seeing firefighters needing to take breaks with bottles of water after going into the house, due to the amount of smoke they encountered.

"I've known them since I moved in here about 12 years ago and I'd seen them just that evening walking up the street from the shop, so I'm just shocked at what has happened to them," he added.

Another resident living a few doors up from the house, who also didn't want to be named, said he had been woken up by the sound of a fire engine and was surprised to see the smoke.

He said: "I usually don't pay much attention to the noise on this road as there's so much all the time, but I heard a fire engine sound and looked out my window to see the smoke coming down the road.

"I don't know how I feel at the moment as I'm trying to take in what has happened and the scale of it.

"I feel sorry for them as they were such a lovely couple and it's shocking to hear what happened to them."