“PEOPLE TRIED TO SAVE THEM” — NEW DETAILS EMERGE AFTER 7-YEAR-OLD GIRL AND HER AUNT DIE IN HOUSE FIRE

A seven-year-old girl and her aunt died in a devastating house fire after members of the public desperately tried to reach those trapped inside, an inquest has heard.

Valentina Foster, 7, and her aunt Natalie McDonald, 34, died after a blaze tore through a property on Birchington Avenue in Grangetown, near Middlesbrough, on August 26, 2026.

Now, as a murder prosecution gets underway, new details about their final moments have emerged.

A DESPERATE ATTEMPT TO RESCUE THEM

Teesside Coroner Paul Appleton opened separate inquests into the deaths of Valentina and Natalie.

The hearing was told that Cleveland Fire Brigade was called to the property after reports that people were believed to be trapped inside.

But before emergency crews arrived, members of the public had already tried to rescue those inside.

The coroner said: “Prior to the arrival of the emergency services, members of the public made attempts to rescue people in the property.”

Despite those efforts, the two victims could not be saved.

Valentina was recovered from the property and taken to James Cook University Hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.

Her aunt Natalie died at the scene.

THE CAUSE OF DEATH

Post-mortem examinations found that both Valentina and Natalie died from the effects of fire, the inquest heard.

Valentina was identified by her mother, who attended the hearing with relatives.

Natalie was identified through dental records and a tattoo.

The brief inquest hearings were then suspended because criminal proceedings connected to the deaths are now underway.

NATALIE HAD BEEN MARRIED FOR JUST NINE MONTHS

For Natalie’s family, the tragedy came only months after what they described as the happiest period of her life.

She had been married for just nine months.

In a statement released through Cleveland Police, her family remembered her as someone who was full of energy and deeply loved by the people around her.

They said she had enjoyed “the biggest, most beautiful wedding” and described her as the “heart and soul” of her street and community.

Her family said they had lost a “beautiful, kind soul.”

The words paint a picture of a woman whose life had been filled with family, friends and plans for the future — before it was suddenly cut short.

VALENTINA’S FAMILY MOURNS A LITTLE GIRL

Valentina’s family has also spoken publicly about their devastating loss.

In a previous statement, they described her as their beloved daughter and said she had been deeply loved by her family and everyone whose life she touched.

She was just seven years old.

Her death has left her family facing the unimaginable task of grieving a child whose life had barely begun.

A MURDER CASE IS NOW UNDERWAY

The fire is being investigated as a suspected double murder.

Jaden Wright, 23, has been charged with two counts of murder, along with additional offences relating to other people who were injured in the blaze.

The wider incident affected several people, including two children.

Wright has appeared before Teesside Crown Court and remains in custody.

A trial has been scheduled for April 14, 2027.

He has not been convicted of the charges.

THE INQUEST HAS BEEN PAUSED

Because criminal proceedings are now active, the coroner has suspended further inquest hearings.

That means the inquest will not currently proceed to examine all the circumstances surrounding the deaths.

The criminal court process will now take priority.

For the families, however, the brief hearing has provided another painful confirmation of what happened: two members of the same family died in the same blaze, despite attempts by members of the public to reach them.

A COMMUNITY LEFT WITH QUESTIONS

The tragedy has left Grangetown facing difficult questions about how the fire unfolded and what happened inside the property that night.

The investigation and upcoming criminal proceedings are expected to examine the circumstances surrounding the blaze, the deaths of Valentina and Natalie, and the injuries suffered by others.

For now, the families are left remembering two very different lives that ended in the same terrible event.

A seven-year-old girl who should have had decades ahead of her.

And a 34-year-old woman who had celebrated her wedding only nine months earlier.

Two lives. One house fire. And a community that watched helplessly as members of the public tried to save those trapped inside.

The full circumstances surrounding their deaths will now be tested through the criminal justice process.