Mom and Her 2 Young Children Die in House Fire the Day After Christmas: ‘Unimaginable Tragedy’

A woman and her two young children have died after a house fire in Gloucestershire, England.

Fionnghuala Shearman — also known as Nu and believed to be in her 30s — and her children, Eve, 7, and Ohner, 4, were killed in a blaze at their home in Stroud on Friday, Dec. 26, according to U.K. newspaper The Times, local outlet Stroud News & Journal and the BBC. Emergency services were called to the scene at around 3:00 a.m., the BBC reported.

Her husband, Thomas Shearman, a police officer with Gloucestershire Constabulary, survived after attempting to rescue his family, The Times reported. He was taken to the hospital and has since been released, according to the BBC.

Speaking at a press conference, Det. Supt. Fletcher said the couple woke to the fire but were unable to reach the back bedroom because of how quickly it spread.

“They have been unable to get to the back bedroom due to the voracity of the fire. The father has smashed his way out of the house through a bathroom window to try to access the children’s bedroom via the outside,” Fletcher said, according to The Times.

“He has been unable to enter the property via that bedroom window,” Fletcher added. “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,” he said.

Fionnghuala’s body was recovered on Sunday, and the remains of one of the children have also been found, the BBC reported. Officials said the remains of the other child have not yet been located.

Investigators are working to determine the cause of the fire, though authorities believe it began on the ground floor, The Times reported. Fletcher said the incident is not being treated as suspicious.

“We are not treating this as a suspicious incident at this time. This would appear to be a tragic accident that’s occurred in the early hours of Boxing Day [as Dec. 26 is referred to in the U.K.],” he said.

The roof, ceilings and stairs were reportedly destroyed in the fire.

In a statement, Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service said it was “deeply saddened” by the deaths and offered condolences to those affected. “Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with their family, friends, and everyone affected by this devastating incident,” the service said, adding that the timing during the Christmas period makes the loss “even more poignant and difficult to bear.”

Gloucestershire Police Federation also issued a tribute to their colleague on Facebook, calling the deaths “an unimaginable tragedy” and saying it was offering support to the officer as well as affected colleagues and teammates.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to raise money for Thomas, with funds intended to cover “emergency accommodation, clothing and essentials, time away from work and the many unexpected costs.” The fundraiser has raised £141,214 toward a £190,000 goal.