Fionnghuala Shearman, seven-year-old Eve and four-year-old, Ohner died in a house fire at their home in Stroud in the early hours of Boxing Day despite the efforts of her husband to save his family
A mum and her two young children who perished in a house fire that ravaged their home during the early hours of Boxing Day, have been pictured for the first time.
Fionnghuala Shearman, known as Nu, seven-year-old Eve and four-year-old, Ohner died, despite the children’s father’s desperate attempts to rescue them. Emergency crews rushed to a property on Brimscombe Hill, near Stroud, Gloucestershire, at approximately 3am. Gloucestershire Police revealed the father, who survived the inferno, was a serving officer with the force.
Named locally as Tom, he tried to save his family but was forced back by the ferocity of the flames. Detective Superintendent Ian Fletcher briefed reporters outside Gloucestershire Police headquarters, explaining that the couple had been woken by the blaze and had tried to reach their children in the back 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 a 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’s 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.”
Mr Fletcher said the blaze was believed to have begun on the ground floor and investigations were ongoing to establish the cause, but it was not being treated as suspicious.
The severity of the fire has caused the roof of the mid-terrace Cotswold stone cottage to cave in and the ceilings and stairs have collapsed.
Mr Fletcher described the torment the officer is experiencing at being unable to rescue his wife and children.
“We are not treating this as a suspicious incident at this time,” Mr Fletcher said.
“This would appear to be a tragic accident that’s occurred in the early hours of Boxing Day.
“The surviving member of this family is a serving police officer at Gloucestershire Constabulary and again our hearts and prayers go out to him and all of his colleagues who know him very well.
“He is working with us to try to understand what exactly has happened within that property.”
Mr Fletcher added: “We have multiple witnesses who describe the anguish that he was going through, his inability to get in and save his children and save his wife.
“He is, as you can imagine, in a very distraught way.
“Sadly, lost his family at a time which is supposed to be a happy festive period.”
Nathaniel Hooton, deputy chief fire officer of Gloucestershire Fire & Rescue Service, described the scene upon arrival, stating that the house was already engulfed in flames.
“It was extremely challenging and they were faced with a well-developed serious fire on arrival,” he recounted.
He detailed the difficulties faced by the crew, saying: “Trying to make their way into the building, trying to rescue the occupants within that building, and also dealing with everything else that was going on.
“They tried their hardest to get in there and do whatever was necessary, and they continue to work extremely hard to support the recovery of the unfortunate loss of life.”
A representative for the Gloucestershire Police Federation, which speaks for rank and file officers, expressed deep sorrow over the incident: “This is an unimaginable tragedy to have struck a colleague and their family and our hearts are broken for them.”
He added: “It is impossible for us all to properly comprehend and come to terms with what has happened.
“The Federation are offering as much support as is possible to our colleague at this deeply saddening time.
“We are also supporting devastated colleagues and teammates of the officer concerned.
“We know the whole police family across the UK – indeed the whole of the UK – will be offering their condolences.
“And we thank those who have already passed on their thoughts and support. It is appreciated.”
#Mum #children #killed #Boxing #Day #blaze #pictured #dad #save
