“I was screaming down the phone and hysterical because my dog was trapped in there and I couldn’t get to him. It was terrifying.”
The family have lost everything(Image: Supplied)
A Scots family have lost everything in a freak fire at their home weeks before Christmas. Devastated mum-of-four Lauren told how all of her belongings, clothing, nursing equipment and Christmas presents for the children were destroyed in the blaze at their home in Edinburgh, on 5 December.
Their beloved cat Misty tragically perished in the fire, while dog Bruno was left seriously unwell despite being rescued from the building by firefighters. Lauren, 27, is currently living in a Travelodge with her son Lukas, 5, daughter Millie, 2, and her six-month-old baby Alfie, while her eldest son Tyler, 11, has moved in with his uncle due to lack of beds in the hotel room.
The terrifying blaze is believed to have started in the kitchen and quickly spread throughout the home. Lauren said she faced a “wall of smoke” after opening the door when she returned from the school run at about 9am.
The blaze destroyed their home
She said she was “hysterical” and “terrified” when she ran outside clutching Alfie to dial 999, with Bruno and Misty still trapped in the burning flat. Lauren said: “There was just a wall of jet black smoke – I couldn’t even see an inch in front of my face.
“I was screaming down the phone and hysterical because my dog was trapped in there and I couldn’t get to him. It was terrifying.
“The whole kitchen was up in flames, every unit was on fire and the flames I could see were barely visible from all the black smoke. The smell from the burning plastic was pungent, I couldn’t hear Bruno barking which scared me more.”
They are devastated
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service dispatched five appliances to the scene. Firefighters found Bruno “unconscious and foaming at the mouth” and he was transferred to an emergency vets for treatment. However cat Misty ran to hide from the flames and was sadly later found dead as a result of smoke inhalation.
“My children just don’t understand, Lukas grew up with Misty, they were best friends. He was his emotional support animal,” Lauren said. “I keep telling him he is with granny now, but he just asks granny to give Misty back.”
Lauren said her children were left “distraught” and could not understand why they were unable to return home. Lauren said: “I lost my mum last year and the flat holds all our last memories which have been taken from me.
“I’ve spent the last eight years building a home there for my children, we have lost everything: all of our clothes, their toys, pictures, equipment for the baby and all the Christmas presents I had just bought. The kids are devastated, my boys are both autistic and can’t understand why they don’t get to go home and where all their stuff is.
“The Christmas Tree looked really sad, covered in thick black soot. I got my eldest a Nintendo Switch which was destroyed in the fire and got my son an Xbox X but that was in another room so we hope it is okay. But nothing else in the house is salvageable and we are not allowed back in because the fumes are toxic.”
They are in temporary accommodation
City of Edinburgh Council managed to find temporary accommodation at the hotel near Cameron Toll about six miles away. Lauren’s cousin Heather Spiers has set up a fundraiser to support the family.
She said: “I am absolutely devastated for her. With just a few weeks before Christmas it’s going to be a real struggle for her to sort the house back out again. Anything that can be donated will help.”
You can read more and donate to the fundraiser here.
A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: “We were alerted at 8.57am on Friday, 5 December to reports of a dwelling fire in Edinburgh. Operations Control mobilised five appliances to the city’s May Court, where firefighters extinguished a fire within the kitchen of a property.
“Crews provided oxygen therapy to one casualty. The casualty did not need to be taken to hospital. Crews left the scene after working to make the area safe.”
The City of Edinburgh Council has also been approached for comment.
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