Couple’s house burns down two hours after moving in because of a hidden danger
A couple’s rented house burnt down after a hidden lightbulb smashed and set fire to carpeted wall.
Megan Wheatley, 31, and Ellis Flack, 32, had just moved from Kent into their rented home in Grimsby in September last year when they went to bed after a day of travelling and unpacking.
But less than half and hour after falling asleep, Megan was awoken to a strong smell of smoke and a strange hissing noise.
She told Metro: ‘None of the smoke alarms went off, but the room felt boiling hot. We went into the bathroom, and entire ceiling was just melting.
‘After the initial panic and shock, we managed to get out, and we realise just how lucky it was we managed to wake up on our own.’
The house was almost completely destroyed, with pictures showing the roof almost completely gone.
In total they have say they’ve accumulated £37,000 in damages, with their insurance company only offering them £17,000 to cover the cost.
But the couple, who moved to Grimsby for a better cost of living, claim they’ve received hardly any support from their landlord Robert Cowper, owner of Ideal Property Services, despite the fact they say the fire started because of ‘his negligence’.
Megan said: ‘We emailed him straight away after the fire, but he let us know he was on holiday and couldn’t help out. Weirdly he was away with his insurance broker.
‘Landlords have a duty of care to help find somewhere else to live, but all he has ever said to us is “leave it with me”, but then nothing happens because he has been on three holidays since the fire.’
After the fire they found carpet had been used an insulation next to a smashed lightbulb in the eaves of the attic.
An investigator also found their smoke alarms needed changing all the way back in 2016.
Megan said: ‘When we went to sleep we thought it was very hot in the bedroom, now we realise it was probably on fire the entire time.’
Metro contacted Mr Cowper who declined to comment.
The couple have had to quit their new jobs and move back down to Colchester.
They say what’s left of their belongings remain in the Grimsby house’s garage which they have ‘given up trying to get back’.
Ellis said: ‘We arrange a date for me to drive up and get it, but then no one turns up to let me in. At this point I have given up hope trying to get our stuff back.’
After reading their tenancy agreement, another landlord described the contract as ‘fishy’ saying he had never seen the word ‘fire’ mentioned so many times.
They have now started a GoFundMe in an attempt to cover the rest of their losses.
‘It’s embarrassing to ask,’ Ellis said. ‘But we lost everything we have worked for in a night.
‘Our smoke detectors went off the other night which made us feel so paranoid. We are still coming to terms with just how much this has affected us.’
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