House fire Mum thanks fire crew
A mum-of-three has thanked the ‘amazing’ fire service for saving her family and her home from a fire.
Rebecca McNamara was at home with her partner, Chris, and three children, in Mill Pond Way, East Preston, last Thursday morning when she heard screaming from outside. She went into the back garden to see smoke pouring from her son’s bedroom and her neighbours shouting over the fence: “Fire, fire, get out.” Rebecca, 44, said she rushed inside to get everybody out, including her partner and son who both had Covid-19, and call 999. She said: “It was frightening, I had a bit of a meltdown on the phone to the fire brigade. My daughter was upset, my sons were upset.
But I’ve woken up with a fresh head and need to get on top of things now. It could have been a lot worse and the main thing is we’re all safe, the animals are all safe – everything else is replaceable.”
Her 16-year-old son’s bedroom was ‘completely gutted’ by the fire, with only his Xbox and fish surviving. But Rebecca said without the quick work of the fire service, it could have been a tragic story. “Without them we could have lost everything, it could have been so much worse,” said Rebecca, who did not have contents insurance. She said the firefighters had been impressive in handling her contagious son, who was isolated in the car with their two dogs, two cats and two rabbits. Chris, who was on his final day of isolation after being bedbound for ten days, was given a mask. Rebecca also thanked her neighbours for their support, not least Paul and Sandra Edge who raised the alarm. She said people in her neighbourhood had offered beds, TVs, clothes and even givenhersonalaptopsohe could continue with his studies. “Everyone’s so supportive in this neighbourhood,” said Rebecca.
While the walls and ceilings of their house have been blackened by the smoke, the housing association has not been able to send professional cleaners as Rebecca and her family are still self-isolating. The fire was thought to have started from an extension lead, Rebecca said, and she warned others to regularly check their plugs and not to overburden sockets.