Melissa Wilding, 30, and her young children are having to rebuild their lives after an electrical fault in their shower caused a fire, leaving an “uninhabitable” level of smoke damage.

Melissa was at home with her six-year-old son on Wednesday, October 28, when the fire broke out.

“I was in the kitchen when my carbon monoxide alarm was triggered and started going off.”

“When I went to investigate at the bottom of the stairs, I could smell gas.”

“I said to my family ‘Everyone get out.'”

“When I was standing in the back garden, I saw smoke coming out of the bathroom window.”

“I immediately called the fire service and got away from the house.”

Two fire crews attended the scene and extinguished the fire.

As a result of, it left the bathroom “completely destroyed”, a burst pipe left her kitchen flooded and her children needing new beds.

This includes items that were just bought for her baby, which is due February.

Online Fundraising

Melissa was offered temporary accommodation, but had to turn it down due to it being too far for her children to travel to school.

Meanwhile, she is currently sofa surfing as a result of the blaze

Melissa’s brother-in-law has set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for the family, which has so far almost raised £1,000.