UPDATE: Pictured: Mum and two children killed in Boxing Day house blaze
A police officer’s wife and two children have been killed in a house fire on Boxing Day.
Emergency services were called to a mid-terrace home off Brimscombe Hill near Stroud, Gloucestershire, at around 3am on 26 December.
Gloucestershire Constabulary confirmed that a woman and two children – a seven-year-old girl and a four-year-old boy – died in the blaze.
In an update outside Police HQ, Detective Superintendent Ian Fletcher said that the mother and father woke to the flames and tried to reach their children in a rear bedroom.
“They have been unable to get to the back bedroom due to the voracity of the fire”, he said.
“The father has smashed his way out of the house through the bathroom window in order to try to access the children’s bedroom via the outside.
“He has been unable to enter the property via that bedroom window.
“He has then tried to re-enter the property through the bathroom window, by which stage the fire has taken hold in the bathroom and he is unable to get back into the upstairs bedrooms.
“He has subsequently gone downstairs and tried to force entry via the front and the back door but has been unable to get back inside to the property.
“It is at this point our colleagues from emergency services have attended and have started managing and dealing with that fire.”
The only surviver, the father, is a serving police officer with Gloucestershire Constabulary. The fire is currently being treated as accidental, but investigations are ongoing.
Temporary Chief Constable Maggie Blyth said: “This is an unimaginable tragedy and my thoughts are with our colleague, along with all of those involved and impacted by what has happened.
“At a time when we are all acutely aware of family and the joys that they can bring, my heart breaks at the indescribable pain that they must be experiencing.
“Our partners continue to work at the scene with both care and sensitivity, and I thank them for their continued efforts and professionalism.”
A cordon remains in place at the address and an emergency services presence is expected to continue for several days as the site is structurally unstable.
Nathaniel Hooton, Deputy Chief Fire Officer from Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service, said crews from Stroud and Nailsworth fire stations attended the incident, supported by colleagues from Gloucester, Cirencester and Tetbury. Firefighters worked together to successfully prevent the fire from spreading to neighbouring properties.
The property has suffered extensive damage, and specialist work is ongoing to ensure it is safe for crews to enter.
Fire crews will remain on scene as investigations continue, and police say they are working closely with partner agencies to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident. Firefighters are also continuing to provide safety advice and reassurance to residents in the local community.
Mr Hooton said: “Our thoughts are very much with the family and everyone affected by this devastating fire. We recognise this is an incredibly distressing time, and our crews will remain at the scene to support colleagues from other agencies and the local community as investigations continue.”
