A man in his 70s has died and four others were rushed to hospital after two tragic ripped through homes in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Two horror blazes erupted just 500ft apart from each other in Bilston, in the West Midlands. The 70-year-old man was discovered at an address on Marbury Drive at around 2.30am, just minutes after crews were called to the terrifying scene. A large scale response from police and fire crews was sparked after the two blazes broke out just minutes apart. rushed to Lunt Place at 2.19am minutes after receiving calls about the fire.

Crews from West Midlands Fire Services rescued three people from the first floor of the home and another person escaped on their own.

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The four people rushed to hospital however were said to have had non-critical injuries. Another fire, at a detached house on Marbury Drive, ignited just 11 minutes later - but crews unfortunately found the man in his 70s dead when they arrived. This man's identity has not been revealed by police.

Fire services said this blaze affected "virtually all of the property" and the home was described as being "engulfed". confirmed an investigation was launched into the cause of these fires but they have not confirmed whether or not the blazes are connected.

A resident on Lunt Place, talking to the , said they were woken up by the sound of a loud band, saying: "Me and neighbours rushed out, the front door was on fire and the flames went up very quickly."

Other shocked locals took to X to share their horror at Saturday's tragedy. One person said: "To have two fires within minutes so close together is just surreal."

Another resident wrote: "We heard a loud bang and within minutes the street was filled with blue lights. It's terrifying when it's so close to home."

Police in a statement said: "Our officers will be remaining at the scene of the fires throughout this weekend to help the Fire Service with their enquiries and keep the sites secure." Crime scene cordons also remain in place over the weekend as forensic teams and investigators continue to look into the tragedy.

West Midlands Fire Service said: "Our thoughts are with everyone affected by these events. We are working closely with West Midlands Police. Cordons remain in place. Both scenes are expected to remain under joint investigation for the next few days.

"We would like to thank the community for their patience and support as our work continues."