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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Peter Craig

Mum and five kids lose everything in devastating fire just weeks before Christmas

A family say "everything is gone" after a fire tore through their home two weeks before Christmas.

Mother-of-five, Mary-Anne Blyth, 27, was at work at a town bar when the blaze started in the kitchen at the home in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire.

Her childminder rushed her kids to safety as the fire took hold and swept through the downstairs of the terraced two-storey home.

Fire crews quickly had the kitchen fire under control on Sunday at 5.30pm, reports GrimsbyLive .

The British Red Cross attended to help the single parent family.

They are now living with a relative in Grimsby and an appeal has been launched to help the family.

The family-of-five say Christmas has been cancelled because of the blaze (grimsbytelegraph WS)

Possessions including an X-Box, computer tablets, school uniforms and TV have been left totally ruined due to the blaze.

Eldest son Leo Blyth, 10 said: "Everything is gone. There was 10 months of studying on the computer and it is all gone."

He was with his brother Luciean at their grandfather's home when the fire broke out and Aimee was looking after Lorissa-Marie Blyth, seven and Leander-Leigh Blyth, three.

Mum Mary-Anne said: "Thankfully the childminder was able to get the kids out. When the fire started she immediately took Larissa out the kitchen door to the back garden. Then she decided to get my three-year-old from the front room.

(grimsbytelegraph WS)
(grimsbytelegraph WS)

"She had to run through the flames and broken glass. But she got them out and I will be forever grateful to her.

"She was hysterical and screaming outside the house when I came home. But everything is gone. Nothing is recoverable and I am having to rely on people giving us things."

She added: "I am so grateful to Debbie Hitchman and Tracy Godfrey for helping out and putting out personal messages online and people have been responding with offers of help. Someone has even paid for a takeaway meal to be delivered to us this evening.

"The kindness of the community has been unbelievable. We were all looking forward to a happy Christmas at home but now it has all gone ," said Mary-Anne.

(grimsbytelegraph WS)

A  Humberside Fire and Rescue Service  spokesman said: "Crews responded to a kitchen fire which originated in an under stairs cupboard housing an electrical meter.

"Crews extinguished the fire utilising four breathing apparatus, one hose reel and a fan. Thermal image cameras were used and a ceiling hook. The house was fully smoke damaged with severe fire damage to the kitchen and under stairs cupboard area.

"Smoke detectors activated. Smoke clearance was carried out at neighbouring property. The British Red Cross attended to assist the occupants."

Anyone wishing to support Mary-Anne and her family can make pledges  here .

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