Boxing Day house fire that killed mother and two children was accidental

An inquest has heard that a house fire which killed a mother, her two children and the family dog on Boxing Day was believed to have been caused by electrical appliances.

Fionnghuala Shearman died alongside her children, Eve and Ohner, in the fire at their home in Brimscombe, near Stroud in Gloucestershire. It happened on Boxing Day 2025, the public holiday the day after Christmas. The family dog also died.

An inquest is a court hearing that examines how a person died. This one was told that the fire was accidental and that electrical items in the home are believed to have been the cause.

The findings bring an answer to how the blaze started almost a year after the tragedy. The hearing took place on 9 November 2026.