Oxford New Year's Eve fire tributes continue for victim

The victim, in their 20s, who has been named locally as Brianna, died after a blaze ripped through a terraced home in Headington.

Neighbours in Hundred Acres Close told the Oxford Mail  the street had felt “eerie” since the tragic events of Sunday morning.

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An upstairs window of the home is charred and blackened, and the front door is covered with cracks and dents after firefighters tried to kick it down.

In the days since the fire, neighbours have left flowers by the battered door.

One of them, Matt, 35, who chose not to disclose his surname, said: “I drove my wife to work this morning, and we drove past the house and saw the marks on the door. It’s horrible.

“We have left flowers as a show of respect.

“It’s been very quiet and eerie for the last few days.”

Flowers have been left at the house (Image: Albert Tait)Another man, 73, who lives a few doors away, added: “You don’t think it’s going to happen in a street like this.

“Everyone stops to look at the house when they walk past.”

A female neighbour, who knew the victim’s mother, said: “It’s very sad. When it’s someone you know. It’s very hard.”

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Oxford East MP Anneliese Dodds said: “My thoughts are with the family and friends of the poor young woman who died in such awful circumstances.

 “This is a truly tragic incident and I hope all support needed will be provided to the police and fire services as they investigate what happened.”

Thames Valley Police is investigating the cause of the fire, which is being treated as “unexplained but non-suspicious”.

A spokeswoman said the force was not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident.

She said the victim’s next of kin were being supported by officers.

Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service was called to the scene at 6.12am. 

The scene of the house fire (Image: Albert Tait)Five fire engines and a hydraulic platform attended from stations at Slade, Rewley Road, Kidlington and Abingdon.

Smoke was “billowing” from the upstairs window, neighbours told the Oxford Mail, and a “burning plastic smell” was coming from the two-storey house.

Firefighters reportedly entered the property through a window and used hoses to extinguish the flames.

Neighbours who had gathered on the street said they were told to go back inside as the victim was brought out of the house.

One eyewitness said she saw emergency services performing CPR on the woman “for about five minutes” before she was taken to hospital, where she later died.