Police say the fire is not thought to be suspicious

A family of seven were rescued from the house on Corporation Road, Weymouth, Dorset, shortly after 3am on Sunday after a neighbour raised the alarm.

Mary and Laura Meadows, who were aunt and niece, died at the scene. A boy, five, is now stable but a girl, seven, remains critical in hospital.

It has not been confirmed whether a candle in a pumpkin was the cause.

Tragic incident

After receiving first aid at the scene the three surviving children and two adults were taken to Dorset County Hospital (DCH) in Dorchester.

One of the children, an eight-year-old girl, was later transferred to Southampton General Hospital.

The condition of the other children, a boy and a girl, has improved in DCH and they are "stable", a police spokesman said.

The man, 27, and woman, 25, are also still receiving treatment and are in a stable condition in hospital.

A Dorset Fire and Rescue spokeswoman said the cause of the fire would not be known until the investigation was completed.

An inquest into the death of the two girls has been opened and adjourned to a later date.

Insp Paul Gillott, from Dorset Police, said: "This is a tragic house fire and our thoughts go out to the family and friends of the children who died."