Mum’s house fire panic

SUDANESE-born Tasmanian Rose Khasif lived through a war-torn upbringing, but nothing frightened her more than the thought of losing her children in a house fire which destroyed her family’s North Hobart home.

The mother of eight was at her Moonah workplace last month when she received a call informing her that her Burnett St home was ablaze while four of her children, two of whom are teenagers, were at home.

“I was out-of-controlcrying because I didn’t know what to do. I was so worried, it was very scary. It was the most horrifying thing that has ever happened to me,” Ms Khasif told the Mercury yesterday.

“I just got in the car and went straight there. I didn’t seem like myself when I was driving because it was the first time something like this has happened to me. When I got there and saw the flames I just ran to the property where I thankfully found my kids were OK.”

Ms Khasif said she and her family had now been placed into emergency accommodation in Claremont while they get back on their feet after losing everything.

Children playing with matches was believed to be the cause of the blaze.

Ms Khasif, who has children at Sacred Heart College and St Therese’s Catholic School, said the family had received an outpouring of support including clothing and supplies from both schools.

Sacred Heart principal Elizabeth McDougall said the school had gathered beds and mattresses to donate to the family along with school uniforms and laptops for the students.

St Therese’s principal Fran Bearman said the school was organising a hamper for the family and would host an “icy pole fundraiser day”.

“They are a beautiful family and we will always help out our families with whatever they need, and in this instance the Khasifs need a lot,” she said.