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Tragic Fire Claims Mother and Children on Boxing Day
12 Jan
Summary
- Mother and two children perished in a Boxing Day house fire.
- Father attempted a heroic rescue but was overcome by smoke.
- The cause of the fire is under investigation but not suspicious.
In Brimscombe, Gloucestershire, a devastating house fire on Boxing Day, December 26, 2025, resulted in the tragic deaths of Fionnghuala Shearman, 38, and her two children, Eve, seven, and four-year-old Ohner. The mid-terrace cottage was engulfed in flames shortly after 3 am, with emergency services arriving to find the property severely ablaze.
An inquest heard that the mother and children were overcome by smoke and unable to escape their home. Tom Shearman, a police officer and the family's husband and father, was awoken by the smoke. He attempted to reach the children's bedroom but was prevented by the fire and heat. He managed to escape through a bathroom window but his subsequent attempts to re-enter the burning home were unsuccessful.
The provisional cause of death for all three victims was exposure to combustion products of fire. The fire destroyed much of the house, and police investigations are continuing to determine the exact cause, though it is not currently considered suspicious. A fundraising campaign for the family has raised nearly £440,000.
