A mum has told of the horrifying moment she realised her home was on fire with two of her children inside.
Vicky Hunt and her husband Richard are still coming to terms with the events of Saturday afternoon at their housing association-owned property in Bramley Road, Wisbech, but have been deeply moved by the support of the local community after two fundraising pages have been launched to help them.
The mum of three was at home with her two youngest children, Harley, seven, and one-and-a-half-year-old Elsie when the fire broke out in the kitchen of the family’s home. The eldest son Ronnie, 14, was out at the time and so was Richard, who was playing golf.
The cause of the fire has been ruled as accidental and was an electrical fault with a tumble drier in the kitchen.
Vicky, a full-time memorial consultant at Fenland Crematorium, said: “We had been out shopping in the morning and I had left a load of washing drying when we went out. When we got home, I put another load in and then made lunch for Harley.
“Elsie was getting tired so I took her into the lounge to change her and get her ready for a nap. It was when I went to take the nappy out and went back into the kitchen that I felt the heat and saw this bright orange glow. It took a moment or two to register what was happening, but then I just grabbed Harley who was sat at the table eating his food before running back into the lounge, scooping up Elsie, and getting out of the house.
“Harley has ADHD and doesn’t always register what is happening around him.”
Once outside Vicky called the family’s pet dog Rocky, a Labrador, who came running out through the smoke.
“I was so relieved when I saw him coming out of the smoke,” said Vicky, but the family’s other pet, Alfie an African grey parrot was trapped in the house. Thankfully he survived the ordeal and doesn’t seem any the worse for what happened.
Fire crews from Wisbech, March, West Walton, and Outwell all attended the fire, which happened at around 3.08pm.
Vicky said: “I cannot thank the fire crews enough, especially Robert Wabe the fire chief who was in charge. He was great, keeping me calm reassuring me because we were struggling to get hold of Richard.
“The neighbours were all brilliant too. One of them took Rocky into their garden to keep him safe.”
The fire has left the house devastated with most of the family’s possessions gone. The property is insured but it will take some time for the family to get a payout and they have been left without clothes and other essentials.
“The boys’ schools have been fantastic and helped source school uniform. The fire service said everything is ruined by the smoke and that it is not worth trying to salvage it – the smell is really strong,” added Vicky.
The worst part of the ordeal is the fact the family has had to be split up as the council was unable to provide them with accommodation altogether.
The children have been staying with their grandparents in Wisbech while Vicky and Richard, who works as a welder fabricator at Dawbarn and Sons Ltd, were put up in a Premier Inn in King’s Lynn for one night and then at a Travel Lodge in Long Sutton the following nights.
“It has been very hard being separated from my children. I haven’t been sleeping very well because I just keep thinking ‘what if I hadn’t gone straight back into the kitchen’ – it is a really scary thought and I just keep crying,” said Vicky.
The family is waiting for the housing association to assess the damage and hope they can be reunited as soon as possible.
In the meantime well-known local charity fundraiser Betty Cunningham, who organises bingo nights for good causes, has stepped in to launch a Crowdfunder page for the family. Betty is godmother to Elsie.
She said: “They are a lovely family. They are very hardworking and did not ask for or expect any help, but what has happened is just devastating for them and I knew I had to do something.”
