Friends bid to help family

A bid to help a family whose home was gutted by fire has raised over £6,700 in just two days.

Fire swept through the top floor of the house in Roecliffe Drive, Minskip in the early hours of last Sunday.

A North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue spokesman said that six crews tackled the blaze, which was thought to have been started by a candle.

“The fire, which started in a bedroom, caused 100 per cent fire damage to the first floor of the property and smoke damage throughout the house,” said the spokesman.

Friends have rallied to set up a GoFundMe appeal, with a target of £7,500, to help the family replace belongings lost to the fire. The total stood at £6,733 on Wednesday morning.

Billie Erskine, who set up the appeal said: “The fire started while she was out of the house and fortunately, her six-year-old son was staying over night with a family member.

“This is a devastating time for her and her family and although money cannot replace the memories and personal belongings lost, it can help contribute towards her and her son building a new life in the future.

“We have watched her work so hard as a single parent over the past few years, building a lovely home for her and her son.

“As well as raising her son and working at a local hair salon, this year she decided to take on a new challenge and went back to college to complete an art and graphics course.

“This was the last thing that the family needed.”

She said that friends and family have provided essentials but the appeal was to raise money to replace furniture and appliances.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/young-families-home-lost-in-fire?