A serving police officer fought desperately but unsuccessfully to rescue his wife and two young children from a horrific house fire that tore through their Cotswolds home in the early hours of Boxing Day.
A Father's Desperate Rescue Attempt
The officer, who serves with Gloucestershire Constabulary, smashed his way out of the stone cottage through a bathroom window after he and his wife were woken by the blaze. He then tried to break into his children's bedroom from the outside but was beaten back by the intense flames and heat.
Detective Superintendent Ian Fletcher, speaking at police headquarters in Gloucester, detailed the harrowing sequence of events. "They attempted to get to their children in the back bedroom. They've been unable to get to the back bedroom due to the ferocity and the heat of that fire," he said.
After failing to reach the children's window, the father tried to re-enter the property via the bathroom but was blocked as the fire had taken hold there. He then ran downstairs and attempted to force his way in through both the front and back doors, but all efforts were futile.
Emergency Services Respond to 'Well-Established' Fire
Emergency services were called to the mid-terrace cottage on Brimscombe Hill, near Stroud, at 3am on 26 December. They arrived to find a "well-established" fire with the roof already collapsed. Fire crews, described as having "tried their hardest" to enter, worked to manage the blaze.
The body of an adult woman, believed to be the mother, has been recovered from the property. The bodies of the two children, a seven-year-old girl and a four-year-old boy, have also been found following a search operation assisted by an urban search and rescue team from Avon Fire and Rescue Service.
Gloucestershire Police have stated they are not treating the fire as suspicious and believe it to be a tragic accident. Initial investigations suggest the fire began on the ground floor and spread upwards.
Community in Mourning
The family, who have not been publicly named, are said to be popular and much-loved in the local area. Chloe Turner, leader of Stroud District Council, said the community was reeling from the loss. "The family are known and loved locally," she confirmed.
Det Supt Fletcher also paid tribute to the father, a colleague. "He's a well-liked officer in Gloucestershire Constabulary. He's worked for us for a number of years," Fletcher said, adding that witnesses had described the officer's anguish during the incident.
The father was treated in hospital following his ordeal. The investigation into the exact cause of the fire continues as the local community comes to terms with the devastating tragedy.
