The mother who died alongside her three children in a horror house fire was pregnant, her heartbroken neighbours have revealed.
The 43-year-old, a 15-year-old girl, and two boys – aged eight and four – were found dead at the family home in Tillett Close in Stonebridge, north west London in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Two other members from the same family, a 70-year-old woman and a teenage girl, were rushed to hospital for treatment.
Devastated neighbours raised the alarm at 1am when they saw flames coming from the building and later heard ‘small explosions’.
They described them as a ‘nice family’ with one saying the woman was expecting another child.
Scotland Yard yesterday arrested a 41-year-old man on suspicion of murder. He currently remains in custody being quizzed by detectives.
This morning, floral tributes and a blue teddy bear can be seen resting up against a brick wall near the scene of the fatal blaze.
Scaffolding has also been erected at the front of the burnt out home.
Scaffolding is erected on the front of the properties at the scene in Tillett Close, Stonebridge, in Brent following a fatal fire — May 25, 2025
Floral tributes and a blue teddy bear has been placed up against a brick near near to where the fire took place — May 25, 2025
Forensics officers are still combing for evidence this morning — May 25, 2025
Neighbours today told MailOnline how one man had to be held back as he went to rush back inside the burning building to rescue the family.
While a girl was seen coming out of the home coughing and covered in soot before being put onto a stretcher.
One neighbour, who did not wish to be named, said: ‘A Somali family lived next door. They came out through the back because the front door was stuck.
‘I brought the children into my house. They were distraught and shaken up.’
Michael Quinlivan, 83, has lived in the area for 49 years and said he had never witnessed anything like this.
‘I woke up at quarter to three in the morning, when I came down there were a load of people sitting on those stairs.
‘I think I knew the older lady – she was a nice woman. Every time I saw her we’d talk. I went back to bed and could still hear people talking.’
An eyewitness, who lives near the scene, said yesterday she had returned home to see the house ablaze, with neighbours standing on the road.
Emergency services work at scene in Tillett Close, Stonebridge, in Brent — May 25, 2025
A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a mother was killed alongside her three children in a horror house fire in Brent, northwest London in the early hours of Saturday morning
She said she could hear ‘small explosions’ from the property and the smell of smoke had spread to her house 50 yards away.
Another resident who lives on a nearby street described the fire as ‘an awful thing’ and said it had spread ‘so quickly’.
One added: ‘They were a nice family – it’s shocking.’
Mohamed Labidi, a 38-year-old teacher, who lives on Tillett Close, said he ‘can’t even look at the house’.
He said he knew the woman, adding that the four victims of the fire were ‘really good people’.#
‘We used to socialise together,’ Mr Labidi said. ‘I can’t even look at the house at the house right now.’
Cecilia Marquis, 60, a caterer at Brentford FC said she was ‘stunned by the devastation’ of the blaze.
Ms Marquis, who witnessed the fire in her street, said: ‘This will leave a devastating impact. I just feel numb.’
A person who lives next door to the house, who did not wish 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.’
Firefighters arrived to Tillett Close (pictured), near Wembley, at 1,22am and worked for more than two hours to tackle the blaze which destroyed the family home
A 43-year-old mother and her three children, a 15-year-old girl and two boys aged eight and four, died at the scene
The family’s next-of-kin have been informed and the police said: ‘Our thoughts are with them at this difficult time’
Eight fire engines and 70 firefighters from stations across Wembley, Park Royal and Willesden tackled the blaze. It took around two hours to bring the fire under control.
A barefooted shirtless man wearing shorts and covered in soot was seen outside the burning building.
A woman gave him some clothes and stayed with him for about 30 minutes and said he was later taken away by police.
‘He was just sitting in my car until the police came and took him and I haven’t seen him since.
‘I tried to speak to him but he wasn’t talking – all he said was that it was his friend’s house.’
Superintendent Steve Allen, from the Met’s local policing team in north-west London said yesterday: ‘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.
‘I recognise the significant impact this incident has had on the community. We are working closely with local authority partners and will have officers in Tillet Close throughout the day.
‘I would also ask anyone with information about what happened to contact us by calling 101 or speaking to officers at the scene.’