Mum praises community support after house fire

Karen Carney praised her community for their support and donations

A mother-of-two who lost her home following a fire has thanked her community for their donations to help her get back on her feet.

Karen Carney and her daughters, aged 17 and 19, had to abandon their home in Dryden Crescent, Stafford, after flames ripped through the property on 23 March.

Clothes, her autistic daughter’s sensory aids and treasured photo albums have all been damaged after the fire broke out upstairs.

Since then the community had rallied to donate cash and furniture to help the family replace the items they lost, Ms Carney said.

The fire started in an upstairs bedroom, Ms Carney said

The family, along with their dog and three cats, made it out unhurt.

While Ms Carney waits for a report from the fire services’ investigation into the blaze, she has moved in with her father in Birmingham until she can find a new home.

“I can’t thank the community enough, the fire service and the police were absolutely brilliant all the way through," she told BBC Radio Stoke.

“All I can smell is smoke, I’m not sleeping and my girls are not sleeping.

“So far we’ve raised more than £400 which will go toward replacing beds.

“I’m just glad that every one of us is safe.”