A family of five from Newmarket have been found temporary housing after a fire that started in an upstairs bedroom quickly spread and caused extensive damage to the rest of the house.
Firefighters from Suffolk and Cambridgeshire, including two crews from Newmarket attended the blaze on Charles Close on Sunday evening.
It was the same blaze that firefighters from Burwell had also been called out to attend but were prevented from doing so after thieves had broken into their fire station and stole vital cutting equipment.
The Newmarket house was the home of Dona Martin and her four young children who all managed to safely evacuate the home just after 11.15pm.
Friends and supporters have shown their support on social media, with one friend setting up a Go Fund Me page which has already raised more than £450 for the family.
Samantha Harrison, who organised the fundraiser, said: “They [Dona’s family] only have the clothes they got out the house in the early hours of this morning, their PJ’s.
“I’m starting this page to help raise as much as possible so we can get the family back to a normal life as soon as possible. Please even if you can only donate a £1 it all helps.”
It took firefighters, using six special appliances, more than two hours to extinguish the blaze. They used jets, fans and a ‘multistar ariel appliance’.
Following the break-in at Burwell Fire Station, chief fire officer Chris Strickland said: “How anyone can steal life-saving equipment from an emergency service is just beyond me.
“Luckily everyone was out of the house safely at the incident in Newmarket and we were able to send a crew from Soham to support Newmarket who responded quickly.
“When responding to an incident, every second counts. It is vitally important our crews are able to get to an emergency as quickly as possible.
“Had there been an incident more locally, the delay in responding could have been much more significant.”
Samantha has updated her fundraising page this morning (January 31); she said that Dona and her children had been given a two bed house temporarily.
She added: “Unfortunately she didn’t have home insurance so she now has to buy furniture, beds and kitchen appliances for the temporary house.
“As of yet her home is unsafe to enter and very unlikely to salvage anything. Any support is greatly appreciated.”
To donate, visit: www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/samantha-harrison-5
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