We’re homeless after our house was destroyed in horror blaze – we couldn’t call 999 to stop it… we just watched it burn
A DISTRAUGHT mum-of-three and her kids only have the “clothes on their backs” after their home was destroyed in a horror blaze.
When Katie-Anne Hone, 26, popped out to do the school run she never imagined she’d return to see her southeast London flat engulfed in flames.
The family’s home, in Orpington, was destroyed within 25 minutes by the fire and none of their belongings could be saved due to an asbestos risk.
Now three-year-old tot Lily, her sister Isabelle, five, and baby Archie have lost everything.
She is so upset, she keeps saying ‘my kids haven’t even got a bed’. They have been sleeping in a spare bed, but they haven’t got a bed to call their own and that is really upsetting her
Michelle Hone
Relatives have put the young family up while they wait for their home to be repaired – which will take up to 12 weeks.
Kate’s mum Michelle Hone, 51, said her daughter has been absolutely “distraught” since that day.
She said: “Kate left to take her eldest child to school and came back to alarms going off. Their flat was billowing with black smoke.
“She was running up and down the street trying to get people to open their doors and ring the fire brigade because their phones were in the flat.
“By the time I got there the fire engines had arrived and the fire was put out.
“They were told that they couldn’t go back in to retrieve anything because it was all covered in asbestos.
“The damage is extensive. The kitchen is completely ruined and the ceiling was taken down. Everything has to be cleaned and repainted.
“She has been quite traumatised by it. She is absolutely distraught.
Kate had literally what was on their backs, they didn’t even have a nappy or a bottle for the baby
Michelle
“She is so upset, she keeps saying ‘my kids haven’t even got a bed’. They have been sleeping in a spare bed, but they haven’t got a bed to call their own and that is really upsetting her.”
The firefighters couldn’t identify the cause of the blaze due to the amount of damage but they confirmed it was accidental.
The property was not insured, so Kate will have to pay to replace everything.
Michelle added: “They just spent so much money on the flat where they redecorated it all and put all new flooring down.
“The flat was lovely. She really worked hard to get it how she wanted. Now all of that is ruined.
“She is very emotional, she cries at the drop of a pin at the moment.
“The kids don’t understand, they want to go home. They don’t know that their toys have all been ruined.
“Kate had literally what was on their backs, they didn’t even have a nappy or a bottle for the baby.
She has got to replace literally everything down to knives and forks
Samantha Hone
“She was only out of the house for 25 minutes and it did that much damage.”
Kate’s aunt, Samantha Hone, has set up a GoFundMe page to help the family.
The local community have rallied to support them, leaving bags of donations.
Samantha added: “People have been so kind, they have been dropping toys off and clothes to help them out.
“Every time the kids come round I have more donations, so they think it is Christmas already.
“It is going to take her a while to get back up on her feet.
“She has got to replace literally everything down to knives and forks.
“The GoFundMe page is to help her start again. It took her five years to get everything together and she now has to do it all again.
“The community have been absolutely brilliant. I am constantly getting messages with offers for bits and pieces.”