I lost my beloved dog and all my possessions in fire
A WIDOWER has told of his devastation after his beloved dog died and his possessions were destroyed in a massive house blaze.
Dad-of-five Philip Jones, 60, lost everything when a blaze ripped through his home of 33 years on Holyhead Road, Gaerwen.
His dog Buster, an eight-year-old Corgi Jack Russell, could not be saved after the fire took hold despite the efforts of a close family friend to pull him out.
And Mr Jones’ possessions, including irreplaceable pictures of his late wife and son who died tragically as a teenager, were wiped out in the fire.
Mr Jones, who suffers from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), had no home insurance.
Holding back tears, Mr Jones said: “It is frightening how fast a fire takes hold. It is devastating.”
Speaking about losing his dog, Mr Jones said: “He was a rescue dog and me and my wife got him after his previous owner used to beat him with a metal bar. He was just a lovely dog. The fire brigade were really upset when they found him.”
His daughter Leanne, who lives in Bethesda, said: “He is in shock that he has lost everything and I think he is just trying to think how he can rebuild so he can get back into the property.”
The fire, on December 15, came two years after Mr Jones’ wife Patricia died from COPD. Her death sent Mr Jones into a spiral of depression, and he ended up falling behind on house insurance payments.
Leanne said: “He has gone through a really bad depression and would not see anyone for months on end. He had letters saying the insurance was going but with everything he was going through he wasn’t looking at them.”
The fire was first noticed by the family’s close friend Martin Walker, who saw smoke coming from one of the windows of the house while he drove past. He ran to the house to try to save Buster, but the intense flames pushed him back.
Leanne said: “Buster had been my dad’s only companion since my mother died. He had been abused in the past and he was quite an afraid dog but my dad won him round and they would always keep each other company.
“He was devastated when he found out they couldn’t save him.”
The huge blaze, which is believed to have been caused by an electrical fault, destroyed Mr Jones’ living room, as well as causing extensive damage to the rest of the house.
Among the belongings lost were a wedding photograph, and paintings produced by his late son Bryan, who died aged 14 after being hit by a motorbike in the early 1990s.
Leanne said: “The only picture of my mother when they got married has been destroyed and he can never replace that. My brother was killed when he was 14 and there were things like paintings he had done and we can’t replace that.”
Leanne said the family were rallying around her dad, and hoping that with the support of others in the community he would be able to get back on his feet.
She said: “He is depressed about it but he has got a lot of family support
“The support on Facebook with people donating clothes, shoes and furniture has been amazing.” A