Simone and her family had to quickly leave the house after flames started to engulf their home
A south London family’s house burned after a gazebo in their garden caught alight in the early hours of the morning. Their mother has described what it was like seeing “her back door” start to melt.
Simone and her five kids rushed out of their home in Bellingham, south London, on Tuesday, May 26, after Simone woke to the sight of flames outside her window. The gazebo in the back garden has caught alight at the place they’ve called home since 2006.
Now, the family has been moved to a hotel while Phoenix Community Housing, the organisation that manages their housing, tries to find a ‘suitable home’ for them. One of her sons is also autistic, and this upheaval in his life has made the situation even worse.
Simone told MyLondon: “We were all in bed and I could just smell [the smoke] coming into my room. I looked out the window and saw a big red flame. I shouted into the house that the gazebo is on fire. I looked at our back door and the windows and I could see them starting to melt. By the time we got outside, about 10 minutes later, the whole place was on fire. It was horrible.”
Simone was able to walk through the house and see the damage inside. She explained how a lot of damage came from the water, and her roof caught fire, she believes due to “insulation” leading to the ceiling falling down.
The London Fire Brigade stated that six fire engines and around 40 firefighters attended the fire on Playgreen Way in Bellingham. The roof of an end-of-terraced house was destroyed by fire, along with half of the first floor and part of the ground floor. Half of the property’s garden was also alight. The loft of an adjoining house was also partially damaged by fire.
She said, “The only thing inside that burned down was the plastic windows, doors and the roof.. I’ve complained about them for years. I saw the windows and the back door melting due to the heat, which looked like it wasn’t even close to it. If there were better doors, I don’t think this would have happened. The fire brigade told us they aren’t sure what caused the fire yet, so they can’t reach a conclusion.”
Simone’s friend Monika set up a GoFundMe to help their family in this time of need. She lives on the next street over from Simone, and when she left for work that morning, she saw that the entire street was blocked off. Simone’s son, who is autistic, has been struggling with the adjustments and the uncertainty.
Monika said: “I left my house, and the whole street was closed off. I just want to help in this situation. They are such a lovely family. This house was a safe space for them and her son, and you can tell he is stressed out. When I saw them later that day [the fire happened], they were in shock and she was only wearing a bathrobe.
“The family couldn’t take anything from the house, so they needed a lot. I wanted to help, so I asked Simone if there was anything I could do.”
A Phoenix Community Housing spokesperson said: “We can’t comment on the specifics of the fire as that is a matter for investigation by the London Fire Brigade.
“Our priority is the wellbeing of our residents. We are supporting the family and working to secure them a suitable home as quickly as possible.”
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