Family's lucky escape as flames destroy home

A young family had to walk through flames and smoke to escape the blaze that ripped through their Hollingworth house.

Leanne Donnelly and daughter Lily-May, from Printers Fold, were at home with Leanne’s boyfriend Will Mather, who was visiting from Liverpool, when the disaster struck.

All three had smelled what they thought was burning rubber.

But it was a sunny Saturday morning and they thought it was someone having a rubbish fire.

It wasn’t until the afternoon at around 2.30pm that the smell got noticeably worse and Leanne went to the front door to investigate.

She said: “The meter box which is just outside the house was on fire and had set fire to a gas pipe. The door was on fire, there was smoke everywhere, but we had to get out so we had to walk through the door to get out.” 

It’s thought that men working outside saw what was happening and called the emergency services and in minutes fire crews from two counties were heading to Hollingworth.

A spokesperson from GMFRS said: “At 2.57pm we were called to an incident on Printers Fold.

“Five fire engines from Hyde, Stalybridge, Ashton, Stockport and Glossop and a command support unit from Atherton were quickly in attendance at the incident involving a fire in a mid-terraced property. 

“Our firefighters used an aerial ladder platform, a drone, six breathing apparatus, three hose reels and a covering jet to extinguish the fire.”

Glossop fire station provided four members of a team to tackle a blaze that threatened homes on either side of the Donnellys’ home with one subsequently damaged by the blaze.

Leanne, 37, Lily-May, 11, and Will, 28, were still wearing pyjamas as they ran to escape.

Most of their other clothes were destroyed by the flames, including Lily-May’s brand new school uniform which Leanne had bought for her daughter’s first term at Glossop’s St Philip Howard Voluntary Catholic Academy.

Ironically the youngster had been photographed by the Glossop Chronicle in her uniform on Friday afternoon for a feature on the school.

The fire had brought the ceiling down in Lily-May’s room as it spread to the rest of the house destroying furniture, fittings and personal items that cannot be replaced.

Replacing what they have lost will probably run into thousands of pounds - and the family did not have contents insurance.

Leanne, a receptionist at St Philip Howard, said: “Our neighbours and the whole community have been amazing as have everyone at our fantastic school which has given Lily a new uniform.”

She paid particular thanks to Kerry Sheldon-Riding - Kerry has started a JustGiving page to help the family buy what they have lost.

Thanks also go to Susan and Peter Williams, two more ‘amazing’ neighbours who have helped with clothes and other essential items.

Landlords Jigsaw Homes have put mum and daughter up in a local hotel until they can find them a home.

Leanne is determined it will be in the village where she has lived all her life and where the rest of her family and friends are. Although she has lost so much, Leanne is just happy that she, Lily-May and Will are still alive.

Had it been during the night when the house caught fire, it could have been much, much worse and lives could have been lost.

Struggling to hold back the tears, Leanne said: “I have cried so much I can’t cry any more.”

Donations to help the family can be made via a JustGiving page at https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/kerrysheldonriding

An amazing £3,635 has already been raised to help the family.

Gary Heaton, Operations Director (Asset Management) at New Charter, said: “Following the fire at one of our properties we have been working closely with the fire service to determine the cause.  

“As soon as the incident was reported to us, our team attended to help secure the two properties and ensure our residents were safe and well. 

“We worked swiftly with the families affected to arrange a safe place for them to stay. 

“While we are carrying out work to repair the properties, we are supporting the families in finding suitable accommodation. 

“We understand this is a difficult time and we are doing everything we can to enable them to return to their homes.”

Electricity North West said they were called to isolate the supply and to make sure everything was safe.