Boxing Day Tragedy in Stroud: Mother and Two Young Children Killed in House Fire

A mother and her two young children have died after a severe house fire in Stroud, Gloucestershire, in the early hours of Dec. 26. The victims were identified as Fionnghuala Shearman, known as Nu and believed to be in her 30s, her daughter Eve, 7, and her son Ohner, 4.

Emergency services were alerted at around 3:00 a.m. and responded to the blaze at the family home. Fionnghuala's husband, Gloucestershire police officer Thomas Shearman, survived after attempting to reach his wife and children. He was taken to hospital following the incident and has since been released.

Ben Birchall/PA Images via GettyThe home destroyed by fire in Brimscombe Hill, near Stroud, Gloucestershire

What Authorities Say

Investigators believe the fire began on the ground floor, and police do not currently treat the incident as suspicious, describing it as a tragic accident that occurred during the early hours of Boxing Day. The blaze caused extensive structural damage, destroying the roof, ceilings and stairs.

“They have been unable to get to the back bedroom due to the voracity of the fire,” Det Supt Fletcher said at a press conference. He described how the father smashed his way out through a bathroom window to try to access the children’s bedroom from outside, then attempted to re-enter but was prevented by the intensity of the flames.

According to police, the father subsequently tried to force entry via the front and back doors but was unable to re-enter the property. Emergency and specialist teams continued recovery and forensic work at the scene; by Sunday one child’s remains had been located and the mother’s body was recovered, while the second child’s remains had not yet been found at the time of reporting.

Ben Birchall/PA Images via GettyEmergency services at the scene in Brimscombe Hill, near Stroud after a house fire

Community Response and Support

Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service expressed deep sadness and offered condolences to the family and everyone affected. The Gloucestershire Police Federation paid tribute to their colleague and said they were providing support to the officer and to devastated colleagues.

A GoFundMe page established to support Thomas Shearman had raised substantial donations at the time of reporting to help with emergency accommodation, clothing and essentials, time away from work and other unexpected costs.

Police and fire investigators continue to examine the circumstances of the fire as local services and the community offer support in the aftermath of this heartbreaking incident.