A Bangor mum has spoken about her devastation after her family has been left homeless following an accidental house fire.
The mum-of-four, who did not wish to be named, was at home on Wednesday, June 29 with three of her young children. While she was downstairs cleaning up from lunch, her two-year-old climbed over their stairgate, took a lighter that was on her unit for lighting a candle, and lit a play tent in his bedroom on fire.
Everyone was able to make it safely out of the house before the fire service arrived. However, their possessions have been destroyed, and the family have been left without a home.
Read more: Belfast schoolgirl writes book about brother's experience with autism
Speaking to Belfast Live, the mum said: "My kids had been copying Peppa Pig shouting 'fire fire where's the fire' in their tent for days.
"I always keep my stairgate locked and the night before I had a candle in my room so the lighter was on my unit. My two-year-old knows what it does because of birthdays, so when he saw it he climbed my stairgate – which I didn't know he could do until his brother told me the day after the fire – and took it to set the tent on fire.
"I was downstairs with the baby cleaning up lunch and I heard my three-year-old shouting 'Mummy fire!' I first thought he was shouting spider as he had seen one that morning, then I realised it was fire. My stomach dropped and I ran upstairs, the smoke alarms started going so I ran into my room, saw my son wasn't there. then ran into his room where he was in the corner with the tent on fire blocking the exit.
"I reached over the flames and carried him over my head and flames and grabbed my three-year-old. I just remember bringing them downstairs and out the front door, and told them to get on the grass.
"I then ran back in, grabbed my baby from the high chair and called the fire service. I knew how fast fires spread from TV adverts in the past but I was still shocked to see thick black smoke coming out of the two front bedroom windows.
"I didn't care about the stuff because my kids were out safe but I kept panicking thinking someone was missing as I have another son who was in school at the time."
Following the fire, the mum has been trying to recover from the incident and has now been tasked with trying to find a new home for her family and sorting out essential items for her children.
"I thought I was OK but I couldn't sleep that night thinking about what if one of them were trapped in the tent or if I was a few seconds later would I have been able to get my son out of the room," she added.
"I keep panicking when I see lights through the window at night and I'm nervous for the smell when the bonfires are lit in July. It's just really scary how fast it spread, you wouldn't even know there was a cot and laundry basket full of clothes in the room because there are zero remains.
"All of my items and my other sons are damaged with smoke and we are now homeless which is really difficult but I'm just grateful we are all safe."
In the days since the fire, the mum and her children are currently staying with her parents due to a lack of temporary homes available. She said family, friends and neighbours have rallied around to help, with one friend setting up a fundraiser.
She said everyone has been "amazing" and she is grateful for the help they have received.
"Everyone has been so supportive and helping me with toys for my kids and the GoFundMe page is helping massively," the mum said.
"To have support from the community to keep me going is brilliant. I've been able to buy clothes hangers, a few outfits for the kids and petrol for driving around sorting out places to sleep.
"At the minute there are no temporary homes available so that's been really stressful as we cannot all fit in my mum's but I'm grateful that she and my dad are helping out as much as they can. I'm just really grateful for everyone who has donated, people have said sorry it's not a lot but seriously even £10 makes a difference because that pays for storage boxes to put belongings in since we don't have a base.
"I just want to say a massive thank you to everyone who has shared and donated it really means so much because I know everyone is struggling with the cost of living right now."
A spokesperson for the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service said: "Two appliances from Bangor Fire Station attended the scene of an accidental fire in the upstairs bedroom of a semi-detached house.
"They identified the fire and four firefighters with breathing apparatus tackled the blaze.
"The property had a working smoke alarm in place and the residents were able to get out unharmed and contact the fire service."
You can donate to the fundraiser set up to help the family by clicking here.
READ NEXT:
NI mum hits out at hospital for 'appalling' treatment after stillbirth of son
Belfast man reunited with sibling finds out he has little brother
For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here. To sign up to our FREE newsletters, see here.
