Fatal Cleveleys house fire: Hunters Kitchen bakery launch fundraiser for families after homes destroyed by blaze

Hunters Kitchen, opposite the tramway in Crescent West, will be selling cupcakes for £2 each from tomorrow (Monday, August 1).

All money raised will go towards helping the two families affected by the Gorse Avenue blaze which claimed the life of a man in his 50s on Saturday morning (July 30).

Staff from the bakery had been delivering to a house on the street when the fire broke out. They rushed to the bungalow to try and help but were met with choking black smoke which quickly engulfed the two homes.

Six fire engines from across the Fylde Coast swiftly arrived at the scene, along with an aerial ladder platform from Preston, as crews battled to bring the blaze under control.

“It was absolutely crazy, at the time you couldn’t see a metre in front of you, the smoke was that thick,” said a staff member from Hunters Kitchen.

“It went up in a matter of minutes. I can’t stop thinking about it. I was praying nobody was in the house.”

The bakery team was heartbroken when they learned a local man died in the fire.

Later that evening, the bakery took to social media to rally their community behind the families whose homes were left gutted by the fire.

You can view the Facebook post here.

Speaking to the Gazette today (Sunday, July 31), the big-hearted bakery team said they have come into work on their day off to bake dozens of cupcakes ready for tomorrow.

“Right now, as we speak, we’ve got an oven full of cupcakes. We only have a small team of four people, but they will arrive at 6pm to decorate some ready for tomorrow and the coming week.

"Hopefully, we and the community can try to make it easier for the victims whose homes have been destroyed.”

The cupcakes will be on sale at Hunters Kitchen from tomorrow (Monday, August 1), along with a donations box to support those affected by the fire.

What we know so far about the fatal fire in Gorse Avenue

Fire crews were called to Gorse Avenue, Cleveleys, at 9.13am on Saturday (July 30) to reports of a fire at a house.

A man in his 50s was treated at the scene but despite the best efforts of the emergency services, he was sadly pronounced deceased at the property.

He has not been named at this stage but his family have been informed.

A joint investigation will now be carried out by police and the fire service.