Overview
- Emergency services were called at about 3 a.m. on 26 December to a well-developed blaze at a Brimscombe Hill home near Stroud.
- The father, a serving Gloucestershire Police officer, escaped through a bathroom window and made repeated rescue attempts that were thwarted by the heat.
- The body of the mother and one child have been recovered, with teams proceeding cautiously to locate the second child and formal identification still pending.
- Investigators report the fire began on the ground floor and a joint police and fire inquiry is underway, with no suspicious circumstances believed.
- Severe internal damage includes a collapsed roof and lost floors and stairwells, and police colleagues and local officials say support is being provided to the surviving officer and community.