A FAMILY from Flintshire is overwhelmed by the support they have received following a devastating fire that destroyed their home.
Couple Paul and Tanya Rooke from Buckley have suffered a horrific ordeal following an incident that occurred in their home on Sunday, March 3.
A fire broke out starting from a tumble dryer appliance in their utility room which caused severe damage.
Luckily, nobody was injured, but the couple and their two children have lost clothing, electronics and items that have sentimental value. Despite having insurance, there is very little that can be saved.
Since the fire, family friend Dave Squires has launched a fundraising page which has already raised over £2,950.
Tanya said: "We've come away with nothing. My husband cleans and checks the tumble dryer so regularly because this is our biggest nightmare.
"On the day it happened, my husband had checked the machine just five minutes before. We were in the living room when a neighbour sent us a message to say they could see smoke coming from the house.
"I opened the door to the utility room and thick black smoke appeared. I screamed for everyone to get out. Luckily, my husband closed as many doors as he could, but there was nothing we could do. Within five minutes, it had already spread very quickly.
"We've lost our clothes and have come away with nothing. The fire service arrived so quickly though and I am grateful for their efforts.
"I made sure I thanked all of them individually when it happened, and even yesterday when they came back to double check there were no hot spots remaining.
"Obviously the children are my main concern, but thanks to the support of friends and the school, I'm able to send them back in tomorrow.
"We're completely overwhelmed with the support we've received, even from strangers who have sent messages to me.
"It has been horrific and it escalated so quickly, but it will make us stronger as a family."
North Wales Fire Service confirmed that crews from Buckley, Deeside and Mold were called at 7.34pm on March 3.
They said the incident caused 50% fire damage to the building's interior, 100% smoke damage and 40% damage to the exterior.
Tanya's sister, Tracy Jones, is heartbroken by the impact the incident has had on her family.
She said: "I just couldn’t believe what I was witnessing on Sunday night, it all happened so quickly, talking minutes! If they hadn’t got out when they did, they could have been trapped in there. That Just doesn’t bare thinking about.
"The fire service were amazing and were there very quickly. I’m just absolutely heartbroken and devastated for my sister and her family.
"Their lovely family home is destroyed and they have lost everything. We’ve had so many messages of support and help, we’re overwhelmed with people’s kindness and generosity.
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"Big thanks to our friend Dave Squires for taking the time to set the go fund me page up."
The family has received an abundance of support online. On the fundraiser website, one resident who generously donated said: "We know what you're going through. It happened to our family in 2003. We lost all our possessions too. Hopefully this will help."
Any donations that can kindly be spared by the public will be hugely appreciated by the family who hope to return to normal as soon as they can.
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