Trainee paramedic with ‘bright future’ found dead in Norfolk house fire

| Night News Editor Published August 25, 2026 6:07pm Updated August 25, 2026 6:07pm Jess McKee has died in a house fire just months before she was due to qualify (Picture: EEAST) Tributes have been paid to a ‘much loved’ paramedic about to graduate before she was the only victim of a house fire. Jess McKee was one of five people stuck in a burning house in Thetford, Norfolk, when it caught fire on Saturday. Four managed to escape the blaze that broke out at 2.30am on Saturday. Her body was found inside the address and she was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency services. The animal lover’s death is being treated as unexplained, but is not believed to be suspicious. Sign up for all of the latest stories Start your day informed with Metro's News Updates newsletter or get Breaking News alerts the moment it happens. Ms McKee, who started working for the ambulance service in 2019, was an emergency medical technician based in Suffolk. She was due to graduate as a qualified paramedic in January, the East of England Ambulance Service Trust (EEAST) said. One colleague said in a tribute: ‘Jess, you were such a kind soul. Words can not express how devastated we all are. It was an honour to know you. Sleep tight.’ Neill Moloney, the chief executive of the service, said: ‘Jess was a much-loved colleague, known for her kindness, professionalism and dedication to patient care. ‘She had a bright future ahead of her and was just a few months away from achieving her ambition of becoming a paramedic, which makes this loss all the more tragic. ‘On behalf of everyone at EEAST, I would like to extend our heartfelt condolences to Jess’s family, friends and loved ones. Our thoughts are with them at this incredibly difficult time. ‘Jess’s death has deeply affected colleagues across our organisation, and we are continuing to support those impacted.’ Arrow MORE: Swimmer dies after getting into difficulty in water near Devon Arrow MORE: Man appears in court charged with murder after ‘terrifying’ Hounslow house fire Arrow MORE: Tourist dies in Death Valley after car gets stuck in the mud News Updates Stay on top of the headlines with daily email updates.