A SINGLE mum and her children fear they have “lost everything” after a fire broke out at their Basildon home.
Multiple fire engines were on the scene on Pendle Drive, off Whitmore Way, near The Crane pub yesterday afternoon after neighbours raised the alarm when they spotted smoke pouring out the home’s window.
Essex Fire and Rescue Service investigation manager, Andre Turner, confirmed to the Echo the property had been left uninhabitable and suffered “heavy smoke damage”.
The resident, a single mum who asked not to be named, has been left devastated by the fire and fears her family have “lost everything” as a result.
It is unclear at this stage how the fire started but a full investigation will be carried out.
The mum said: “I have just lost everything, everything I had. My kids’ school uniform, my kid’s iPad, four TVs.
“I don’t know anything, I just lost everything. I got a phone call to come home, that the fire service is at my house. That they have opened the windows.
“I wasn’t here, I turned up. The firemen said I cannot not take anything from the house.
“Everything is in that house. I am a single parent and I worked really hard for all of this.”
She added she had been told she could not go back inside the house due to the damage, and would be staying at her mother’s home.
A cordon was put in place surrounding the property while the fire service and police continued to investigate the scene.
Debbie Palmer, a resident on the street, reported seeing smoke coming from windows at the back of the house.
She said: “There was smoke coming out of their back windows, we were really worried.
“Fire engines turned up after next door reported it. The fire service were here for about 30 to 45 minutes.
“It was concerning seeing that. It’s quite uncommon to see that here.”
Kim Maloney, who was in The Crane pub, said he saw smoke billowing from the house and said he heard the fire was “quite bad” at the back of the house.
He said: “I have seen all the fire engines. We saw smoke out of the roof, and apparently, it’s quite bad on the other side.”
The family of the occupant said they plan to launch a GoFundMe to help her recoup what she has lost.
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