Police have arrested a man on suspicion of murder after a mother and three of her children – aged 15, eight and four – were killed in a house fire in north London on Saturday
Flames gutted two houses in Stonebridge, Brent, after the fire broke out shortly after 1am, with 70 firefighters and eight fire engines called to the scene to tackle the blaze.
Police confirmed on Saturday afternoon that the four people killed were a mother, 43, her daughter, 15, and two sons aged eight and four.
Four others managed to escape the inferno, but two further members of the same family – a woman in her 70s and a teenage girl – were taken to hospital for treatment.
A man was arrested outside the house in Tillett Close on suspicion of murder and remains in police custody.
Horrified neighbour Cecilia Marquis, 60, said she was “stunned by the devastation” of the blaze. Ms Marquis, who is a caterer at Brentford FC and witnessed the fire in her street, said: “This will leave a devastating impact.”
Brent Council has set up a rest centre nearby and has a dedicated team looking after families who needed to be evacuated.
Mohamed Labidi, a 38-year-old teacher, said the four victims were “really good people”.
“We used to socialise together,” he said. “I can’t even look at the house right now.”
A person who lives next door, who did not want to be named, said: “It’s horrible, we saw people running outside. It’s hard to process. I only just moved in so it’s hard to think about it.”
Another resident said the family had lived in the property for years, adding: "We've all grown up together. We've all lived in these houses for 25, 30 years. Everyone knows everyone.
"It was a very big fire. The fire was blazing. It was non-stop. It's a very tragic time."
Police have cordoned off the area around the two burnt-out homes as investigators try to establish how the fire started.
London Fire Brigade (LFB) received more than 20 calls reporting the blaze, which raged until 3.24am.
Crews pulled a woman and a child from the second floor of the terraced home, but they died at the scene. Two more children were discovered inside the property.
LFB’s assistant commissioner Keeley Foster said: “This is an extremely tragic incident, and the thoughts of everyone across the Brigade are with those impacted by this incident.
“Upon arrival, firefighters were met with a well-developed fire, involving two adjoining properties. Crews immediately set to work carrying out firefighting operations in order to bring the incident under control.
“Sadly, a woman and three children have died as a result of this fire. Crews wearing breathing apparatus were able to rescue the woman and one of the children from the second floor, but they were later declared deceased at the scene. A further two children were discovered to have died in the fire, as crews carried out a search of the properties involved.
“Our specialist Fire Investigation Unit are working closely with colleagues from the Metropolitan Police service to now determine the cause of this fire. We are working closely with our partners to support the community at this very sad time.”
Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan said his “thoughts are with the family, friends and wider community of the four people who sadly have lost their lives”.
“I remain in close contact with the London Fire Brigade and Metropolitan Police as they work to establish the cause of the fire and offer support to all those impacted,” he added.
Dawn Butler, the local Labour MP for Brent East said she was “devastated” following the fatal fire in her constituency.
"My prayers are with the family and friends affected by this is a very sad tragedy,” she added in a post on X. “LFB-Brent worked hard to get it under control, thank you."
In a statement from the scene, Superintendent Steve Allen, from the Met's local policing team in northwest London, said: "Police are leading the investigation, and we are working closely with the London Fire Brigade to establish the cause for fire.
“Our officers were called to the scene until it closed shortly after one o'clock this morning, despite the efforts of the emergency services, I can confirm a woman and three of her children died at the scene.
“A further two members of the same family were taken to hospital and continue to receive treatment. The wider family have been informed, and officers will continue to support them at this incredibly difficult time, we remain in the early stages of our investigation.
“However, one man was arrested outside the house. He remains in custody and is being questioned by officers.”
Anyone with information that could assist our investigation is asked to call 101 quoting CAD 509/24May.
