Three People Missing After Early Morning House Fire in Gloucestershire

Three people remain unaccounted for following a house fire that broke out in the early hours of Boxing Day in the Gloucestershire village of Brimscombe Hill, near Stroud, police have said.

Emergency services were called to the scene at around 03:00 GMT after reports of a fire at a residential property. Fire crews, police and ambulance services attended quickly, working through the night to bring the blaze under control and search the building.

Gloucestershire Constabulary confirmed that one person managed to escape from the house and was taken to hospital for treatment. Their condition has not been described, but police said the individual was able to get out before emergency crews arrived.

Officers believe that three other people were inside the property at the time of the fire and have not yet been located. A police spokesperson said efforts to find them are continuing, with specialist teams involved in the search as conditions allow.

The cause of the fire has not yet been confirmed. Investigators are expected to begin examining the scene once it is declared safe, although the extent of the damage may make the process complex and time consuming. Police said it was too early to speculate on how the fire started.

Local residents described being woken by flashing lights and the sound of emergency vehicles in the early hours of the morning. Some said the fire appeared severe by the time crews arrived, with flames visible from outside the property.

The incident has cast a shadow over the Boxing Day holiday in the area, with neighbours expressing concern for those who remain missing and offering support to the emergency services working at the scene. Authorities have asked the public to avoid the area while investigations and search operations continue.

Police said they will provide further updates as more information becomes available and once the identities of those involved can be confirmed. Support is also being offered to family members and others affected by the incident.

As the search continues, officials said their priority remains locating the missing individuals and establishing the full circumstances surrounding the fire.