Family 'Loses Everything' in Pre-Christmas Blaze
A family from Birmingham has been left homeless and with nothing after a devastating fire ripped through their rented home in Yardley, tragically occurring just weeks before Christmas.
The blaze erupted on Sunday, November 23, shortly after midday, gutting the upstairs of the property where the family had lived for the past six months.
Teenager's Bedroom Identified as Fire Source
Jayden, a teenager who lives with his mother, stepfather Stephen James, and his younger brother, revealed that fire investigators pinpointed the origin of the fire to his bedroom.
"I was at work at the time and the fire spread so quickly," Jayden explained. "When I got there, the fire marshal said it was likely from an electrical fault with my bedside table, which I'd bought, which had been left on. It had plugs and USB sockets."
He described the terrifying speed of the fire, stating, "The fire just went everywhere. We've lost everything. Nothing was salvageable." The flames consumed every room upstairs, including his little brother's bedroom.
Narrow Escape and Immediate Aftermath
Miraculously, the younger brother was in the house at the time but was alerted by the smoke alarm. Jayden confirmed, "He was in his room adjacent to mine when the fire alarm thankfully went off."
His stepfather, Stephen James, aged 39, recounted his own harrowing experience. "I had just got out of the shower, ready to go to the gym, when we heard the smoke detector go off," Stephen said. "My partner's son, who was in the house at the time, shouted me and all I could see was smoke coming from Jayden's bedroom door. I tried to put it out with towels, but it was too late. We knew we had to get out of there quickly."
The family's current situation is one of profound uncertainty. "We're hotel hopping at the minute," Jayden shared. "We're sleeping wherever we can while we wait for news from the landlord."
Community Rallies with Fundraising Support
In the face of this disaster, Stephen has launched a JustGiving page with a goal of raising £3,000 to help the family rebuild their lives from scratch.
On the fundraising page, he wrote, "I'm raising £3,000 towards a mother and her two young sons who have lost everything from a devastating house fire. She has worked so hard to bring up her children as a single mother. They have lost everything. Any help would be greatly appreciated. She and her children are now homeless and have to start all over again."
Despite the material loss, Stephen emphasised the most important outcome: "The main thing is everyone is safe. It's just such a shame, so close to Christmas." He also expressed immense gratitude for the local community, which has been "incredibly" supportive with donations following the traumatic event.
