Mum who lost home in blaze shares message of hope

A family whose house was destroyed by fire have offered their condolences to the people affected by last week’s suspected gas explosion.

Rosemary, Mark, Thomas and Tianna Horton were left homeless when their Stanhope home was gutted by a blaze in January 2014.

Mum Rosemary and daughter Tianna were the only two in when the fire started, and man- aged to escape with their two pet dogs.

Sadly the family’s two cats and bearded dragon Marley died in the blaze.

Following the fire, the Hortons stayed with family before being moving into temporary accommodation in Ashford.

Work to demolish the remainder of their house and completely rebuild it started in October and is expected to be complete early next month.

Mrs Horton said this week: “I can’t wait to go home! Our moving in date is Sunday, July 5. It has been a long 18 months.

“Work started last October on the house. They weren’t sure what to do at first, but they completely knocked it down and rebuilt it.

“It was weird going there and just seeing land.

Thank

“We want to thank Cutting Edge Builders who have made this stressful time a little easier, they have given us our home back.”

The Brenchley Close house will look the same from the outside, although some small changes have been made to the interior.

Mum of two Mrs Horton added: “We’ve been living out of boxes, as we didn’t want to settle.

“But I can’t wait to be in our own house, wake up in my own bed, with all of us under one roof.”

The family have also had to buy all new furniture, as theirs was wrecked in the fire.

In the days that followed the devastating blaze – which also caused damage to a neighbouring house – hundreds of household items were donated to the family and their neighbours, including furniture, clothes and toiletries.

“We couldn’t have managed without all the donations, and the furniture,” said Mrs Horton. “I can’t thank people enough.

“It made it easier. People still ask me about the fire now.

“The worst thing about all this is losing the past and not having anything to pass down to our children, just memories.”

Asked whether last week’s explosion in Oak Tree Road brought back awful memories Mrs Horton said: “Yes. I really feel sorry for the people involved. We know how it feels.

“But there is light at the end of the tunnel.”

After fire destroyed the house in Stanhope in January 2014, it was demolished and has been completely rebuilt – the family hope to move back home next month

Rosemary Horton and family lost their house in a fire