Family lose everything in house fire

A FAMILY have been left with nothing after a fire tore through their home because of a mobile phone charger.

The family have lost all their possessions after the fire broke out on the upper floor of their house in Aberfan.

Alice Matthews, from Merthyr Vale, said her sister Lana, brother-in-law Stuart and seven-year-old nephew Cole Meredith had been out of the house on Tuesday morning when the blaze started.

It is believed the fire, which has destroyed the house’s first floor and badly water damaged the ground floor, was caused by a mobile phone charger in an upstairs bedroom.

The family have now been told they will have to wait a year for their home in Ynysowen Fach to be rebuilt and must move into temporary accommodation in the Gurnos in Merthyr Tydfil.

Ms Matthew, 27, said: “My sister had left the house at about 9.30am and by about 9.40am police phoned her to say the house was on fire.

“The upstairs has completely gone and the downstairs is badly water damaged so nothing is salvageable.”

She said: “My brother-in-law is keeping strong for my sister and my nephew doesn’t really understand what has happened.

“They were really lucky though that they weren’t there when it happened.”

Since the fire the family have been “overwhelmed” by the response of the community.

So far Ms Matthews has received countless donations for her sister’s family including three cookers, a washing machine and TV.

An online fundraising page has also raised more than £1,000 in less than a week after doubling the original target of £500.

Ms Matthews said: “My sister is in shock but she’s overwhelmed by what people are doing.

“The last few nights I’ve been out collecting clothes for my sister and people are donating everything. It’s amazing.

“I think they have everything to move into their new house.”

A spokeswoman for South Wales Fire and Rescue Service said emergency services were called to the house after reports of a fire from a first floor bedroom.

She said: “We had three fire engines at the scene with two from Merthyr Tydfil and the other from Treharris.”