After a devastating house fire that killed their beloved pet dog, a young family has been left traumatized.
Caitlin Brook, 24, was out with her partner, Simon Miller, 28, and their two girls, Skyla, four, and Cara, one, when a friend called to tell her house had caught fire.
Her buddy then video phoned her to show her the dense black smoke that had engulfed her house in Catchgate, County Durham, at noon.
Lola, Caitlin’s two-year-old staff dog, died in the fire on Sunday, May 15, since no one was able to get to the house in time to save her.
The part-time university student and mum-of-two has moved in with a friend while waiting on the report to find out the cause of the fire, which is suspected to have started from her garden.
Caitlin explained: ‘I just couldn’t believe it when my friend told us.
‘The first thing I shouted was get the dog out.
‘Lola was inside and all I could think was she was trapped inside,
‘I was screaming to get the dog out of the house but my connection was so bad.
‘It’s bad but I initially thought it was a joke until my friend video called me. It’s what goes through your mind at first.
‘You don’t think something like this would ever happen to you.
‘It was a rental and all I kept doing was apologising to my landlord.
‘The damage is so bad that the house is going to be completely demolished.
‘We were 25 minutes away from the house so there wasn’t anything we could do except rush back home.
‘At the minute, I just feel numb. I don’t really know how to feel. Everything has gone including Lola.
‘I don’t feel like it has happened; it hasn’t sunk in yet.
‘I just keep thinking about the dog. It keeps playing on my mind.
We’re still waiting on the initial report from the fire brigade as to how it started, but they suspect it started in the garden as an accident.
‘I have no idea how a fire could have started in the garden whilst I was out.
‘I just keep thinking what could I have done.
‘This has had such an impact on me. Every night I now go around looking at plugs making sure they’re off.
‘I left the fridge open the other day so it started to beep and I got so scared thought it was smoke alarm going off.
‘I just keep thinking every little thing is fire and I’m so anxious it is awful.
‘I have so much guilt, but at least my children are safe.
‘My neighbour called the fire brigade and when we got there, the house was covered in smoke.
‘There were people saying things were exploding inside the house and the windows were popping out.
‘I am able to claim on my insurance.
‘We will only gain around £5000 but to me that will make me feel like a millionaire.
I have nothing right now.
‘I didn’t know I was paying contents insurance but I am so glad I was.
‘I am now having to cancel all of my direct debits and bills.
‘Silly things like cancelling my TalkTalk as I won’t be living at that address anymore.
‘I just keep remembering random items that are now gone.
‘I had just bought a new hoover, my uni work has all been destroyed and I was just about to finish my course and submitting my last piece of work.’
Caitlin said she had been blown away by the kindness of her friends and family.
She said: ‘So many people have been messaging me offering support.
‘We have had so much donated to us already and so many people are willing to offer things to us such as their televisions.
‘People are buying us clothes and shoes. It is unbelievable.
‘All of my documents and identifications have gone.
‘I don’t even have my passport or driver’s license to prove to the council who I am so I can apply for a house.
‘If it wasn’t for my friend I would be homeless right now.
‘My friend has also set up a Go Fund Me to raise money for us to get started again.
‘We have lost everything, but at least we haven’t lost our lives.
‘Everything else is replaceable and the money raised will mean so much to me knowing that I can start again.
‘I have no words for the kindness of everyone that has been willing to help.
‘The fire brigade told us if we were at home we would have only had ten minutes to get out the house and surviving,
‘Imagine if we were sleeping in the house at the time.
‘Some people have been really horrible about what’s happened, telling me it’s an insurance claim.
‘I just never thought this would happen to me, but I am just so grateful me and my children are fine.’