A mother and her two young children have died after a devastating house fire destroyed their home in Stroud on Boxing Day.
The children’s father, a serving police officer with Gloucestershire Constabulary, managed to escape the blaze and was taken to hospital. He later made repeated attempts to re-enter the property but was unable to reach his family due to the intensity of the fire.
Emergency services were called to a “well-established” fire at a mid-terrace property on Brimscombe Hill at around 03:00 GMT on Friday. A seven-year-old girl, a four-year-old boy and their mother, who was in her late 30s, were trapped inside the house.
Police confirmed on Sunday that the mother’s body had been recovered, although formal identification has yet to take place. The body of one child has been located but remains inside the property, while crews continue efforts to recover the second child, working cautiously due to the building’s unstable condition.
Detective Superintendent Ian Fletcher said the father and mother were woken by the fire and attempted to reach the back bedroom where the children were sleeping. The father escaped through a bathroom window and then tried to climb into the children’s bedroom, but was prevented by the “ferocity and heat” of the blaze.
“He attempted to re-enter the property several times,” Det Supt Fletcher said. “We have multiple witnesses to the anguish he was going through at his inability to get in and save his children and save his wife.”
“He has sadly lost his family at a time which is supposed to be a happy festive period.”
The fire is believed to have started on the ground floor, and police said there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding its cause. The blaze caused the roof to collapse, along with internal floors, stairwells and ceilings.
Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service said crews managed to prevent the fire from spreading to neighbouring properties, but the damage to the home was extensive.
Deputy chief fire officer Nathaniel Hooton said firefighters were faced with a “well-developed, serious fire” on arrival. “Crews tried their hardest to get in there and do whatever was necessary and continue to work extremely hard to support the recovery of the unfortunate loss of life,” he said.
At a press conference, Det Supt Fletcher confirmed the surviving family member was a serving police officer and said he was assisting officers to understand exactly what had happened. He added that the family had asked for privacy.
Chloe Turner, leader of Stroud District Council, said support would be offered to the local community and emergency personnel.
“My heart goes out to everybody impacted by this horrific incident,” she said. “The family are known and loved locally, so it’s a really difficult time.”