A young family are grieving the loss of their dog after a devastating fire ripped through their home. Jordon Larkin was working away in Newcastle when he received a call from a neighbour about the blaze at home in Rochdale.
Luckily, his partner Kerrie Sherwen, their eight-week-old baby Joshua, and Kerrie's 12-year-old son Jack were out of the house. But as their one-year-old dog Buddy tried to escape from the fire by hiding upstairs, he was killed by the smoke.
The family's belongings have also been ruined, while Jordon believes the inside of his home is now 'beyond repair'. "We're just very fortunate that we were out," Jordon told the Manchester Evening News.
"The whole house is black from wall to wall. It's so dark in there."
The fire began in the kitchen of the Duke Street property on Tuesday (April 4) and is believed to have followed an electrical fault. Firefighters were called out after the family's neighbours began to smell smoke.
Jordon and Kerrie had new clothes and items for little Joshua at the property, but the couple have been told the items can't be saved. While Jack has belongings at his dad's property, almost everything else the family had has been ruined.
Jordon said: "I had my suitcase with me because I was working away, I had a couple of bits of clothes. There was one door that was closed in the house and that was to the lounge, so there's a television probably we can clean up if it works.
"But [the fire service] advised us any fabrics in there - we've got baby clothes that have been given to us from family, friends, or what we've bought. He's only eight weeks old, and we can't take any of that.
"I'm not in a position to go and buy this right now, I've spent thousands. He's eight weeks old, I've spent nine months preparing for this, but they've said no - it's more dangerous to take it with you.
"In every other room, the smoke damage is just completely black. I wish I could say we've managed to salvage anything. I got my car key, that was melted on one side, but that was it really."
Replacing the damaged items will set the family back a huge sum of money, although Jordon says the community has been 'overwhelmingly kind' by donating clothes and other items. But the family's beloved pet Buddy, who had been with the family since he was a puppy leaves a huge void.
"[Firefighters] tried all they could to resuscitate him but he didn't make it," Jordon said. "We originally got the dog because we'd been trying for a baby for a while and we weren't getting anywhere, so we said we wanted a dog - but then we had the pregnancy soon after.
"I don't go out with the lads and go to the pub and stuff. I literally get up in the morning at 5am, I walk Buddy for an hour, I come home at 6am and I'm off to work.
"I come home and he goes absolutely nuts. He runs around the house, he does these 360 spins, we're best friends."
Jordon and Kerrie have had to stay in a hotel with Joshua since the fire, while Jack has stayed with his dad.
A Gofundme page has been set up by a relative to help the family rebuild following the fire - click here to find out more.
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