Family homeless after 'losing everything' in fire

McCorley Booth's family "lost everything" in the fire which ravaged their home in Chapel St Leonards

A family left homeless after a fire destroyed their property said they have "lost everything".

The fire broke out at about 15:19 BST on Sunday on Buckingham Drive in Chapel St Leonards.

Two of McCorley Booth and Chelsea Moore's three young children were playing in the conservatory when they realised their home was on fire.

According to Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue, the incident was caused accidentally from materials in a neighbour's garden.

Lincolnshire Fire & Rescue Service was called to the fire at about 15:19 BST on Sunday

Mr Booth said the family had no contents insurance and the experience was "heart-wrenching".

A crowdfunding campaign has raised nearly £3,000 in under 24 hours.

"It's heart-wrenching. We don't have contents insurance so what is lost is lost", said Mr Booth who had lived in the bungalow for three years with his partner and children.

"We've lost photos, we've lost memories, we've lost everything.

"We've got nothing else."

Mr Booth said while the family were "very lucky", they had lost items including mobile phones, an Xbox and their life savings.

He said his eldest son, aged seven, and five-year-old daughter were playing in the conservatory when his son approached him and asked: "Dad, is this a real fire or a bonfire?"

Soon the fire engulfed their property, said Mr Booth.

"We ran out of the house with no shoes on. All of us left with no shoes, no coats, just what we had on.

"[The house] is gone. It's gutted.

"The only thing I salvaged was my late grandfather's ashes."

'Got to restart'

The council is helping to arrange alternative accommodation but at present the family have been split up with the children staying with their grandparents, while Mr Booth and his partner are residing with Ms Moore's parents.

He said he "couldn't thank the community enough" for donating items and money to help his family.

"We've worked very hard to give our kids things. We work our bums off. We work both jobs.

"But now we've got to restart."

The fire service said two of the properties "suffered internal fire damage" and four others had "damage to the gardens".

"It was caused accidentally by combustible materials in one of the gardens", said a spokesperson.

One eyewitness described how he got onto the roof of his house with a hose when the blaze was "raging", with a eucalyptus tree in his garden "burning like mad".

"I had to get down because the fire was creeping up under where I was standing," said Richard Ball, a Buckingham Drive resident.

Helen Gridley, south divisional commander for Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue said two properties were "no longer habitable".

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