WATERFORD, IRELAND | TUNGARU PRESS | October 25, 2026
Irish police have released three people without charge following their arrests in connection with a suspected arson attack that claimed the lives of four members of the same family in Waterford, in the Republic of Ireland.
The victims have been identified as Philip and Kim English and their two children, 12-year-old Callum and nine-year-old Jayden.
The family died after a fire was deliberately started at their home on Birch Avenue, on the outskirts of Waterford, earlier this month, according to police reporting cited by BBC News.
The tragedy has left a family devastated and prompted an ongoing criminal investigation.
Three People Released Following Arrests
An Garda Síochána, Ireland's national police service, confirmed on Saturday, October 24, that three people arrested earlier in the week had been released without charge.
Those released include two women in their 30s and a man in his 50s.
All three had been arrested on Tuesday as part of the investigation into the fatal fire.
Police did not announce any charges against them in the update.
Their release without charge does not establish that the investigation has concluded.
Fourth Person Remains in Police Custody
Police also confirmed that a fourth person, a man in his 20s who was arrested on Thursday, remained in custody as of Saturday.
Separately, a man in his 20s and a woman in her 30s had previously been charged in connection with the incident.
The specific charges against those two individuals were not detailed in the latest BBC report.
The case remains under investigation, and anyone facing criminal charges is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Family of Four Remembered
The fatal fire occurred at the English family's home on Birch Avenue, where Philip and Kim lived with their children.
Their deaths have drawn expressions of grief, with flowers and other tributes placed outside the property.
Photographs from the scene show floral arrangements near the cordoned-off house, which has boarded-up windows following the fire.
The tributes reflect the sadness surrounding the loss of the parents and their two young children.
Investigation Continues
Irish police are continuing their investigation into the circumstances of the suspected arson attack.
The latest update confirms that three people have been released without charge, two others have previously been charged, and one additional person remains in custody.
Authorities have not provided further details in the supplied report about a possible motive or the precise circumstances that led to the fire.
The deaths of Philip and Kim English and their children, Callum and Jayden, remain at the centre of an ongoing investigation as police work to establish full accountability for the tragedy.
Original reporting: BBC News, with imagery from PA Media.
Source: BBC News
Adapted and rewritten for Tungaru Press
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