13 June 2024 , 21:11
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A group of residents have come to the rescue of a fellow neighbour after they "lost everything" in a house fire.
The West Yorkshire residents came together to help raise money for their neighbour after a fire broke out at 71-year-old Christine Bedford’s home on Stonehyrst Avenue, Dewsbury, in the early hours of Sunday morning, June 9. Christine and her Great-grandson were inside the residence when the fire broke out.
Whilst both got out before the blaze took over, both her and her Grandson's dog were killed in the fire despite the efforts of the neighbours to make rescue attempts and save them. After the pair escaped the blaze, they were taken to the hospital for treatment. They have now both returned home and are uninjured, but Christine’s entire house has been destroyed, along with all of her clothes and belongings, YorkshireLive reports.
Neighbours set up a GoFundMe after house fire destroys their neighbours home and belongings (Yorkshire Live)Sarah Townend, 30, from Dewsbury, is one of Christine’s neighbours who is to help her rebuild her house. She said: "It’s not in a liveable condition. The house has been left in a complete mess and everything inside has been destroyed."
In the immediate aftermath of the fire, Christine has moved in with her granddaughter and does not know when she will be able to return to her own home. After learning of the devastation that the fire caused, the local community came together to brainstorm ways they could help Christine.
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Sarah said: "We’ve got a WhatsApp group for everyone that lives on the street. As soon as we found out what had happened everyone started posting in there and discussing ways we could help." A GoFundMe page was set up by Sarah and has surpassed the £3,000 target, the current total is £3,070.
An investigation into the cause of the fire is still ongoing but it is thought it may have been caused by the dryer (Yorkshire Live)Sarah added: “The damage to her house is so bad that it’s going to cost a fortune to get it back up and running. Everyone on the street just wants to support Christine as much as possible. We have all been devastated by the news. We’re glad that she and her great grandson managed to get out safely but it’s terrible."
Going a step further, Sarah also contacted local builders yards to ask if any materials could be donated for the rebuilding of the house. Other neighbours have set up a hamper raffle and have started posting leaflets through people’s doors in order to appeal to anyone who may be able to help out.
Sarah added: "Christine is lovely - she’s so caring and really chatty. She’s ex-armed forces so she’s a great woman. She’s a pillar of the community and she would do anything to help anyone." An investigation into the cause of the fire is still ongoing but it is thought it may have been caused by the dryer. To find out more information about the fundraiser for Christine and to donate, click .