A Leigh family of four have been left homeless before Christmas after a devastating fire
A fund has been launched for a Wigan borough family whose home was destroyed in “five minutes flat.”
Neighbours came to the rescue of a terrified man and his two teenaged daughters when they were trapped in an upstairs bedroom by the blaze at the semi-detached address in Laxey Crescent, Leigh.
They say the occupants are lucky to be alive, so quickly and ferociously did it spread after breaking out in the downstairs rear of the house at around 6am today (Thursday, December 18).
The victims all suffered from smoke inhalation and were taken to hospital, but police say the man and the two girls – aged 14 and 18 – had not sustained life-threatening or life-changing injuries.
A GoFundMe page had been set up by neighbour Jody Shovelton to raise money for the Hong Kong-born family who are now homeless with just days to go before Christmas.
Jody said: “This has happened to the nicest people on the street and it is absolutely heartbreaking.
"In a way they are lucky to have escaped with their lives because the fire started at the back and was through to the front within five minutes flat. All the windows are blown and it’s back to brick.
"It was about 6am and the wife of the family had already gone to work when neighbours across the road could hear shouting.
"They looked out and there was Ken and his daughters screaming from an upstairs window. A neigbour got a ladder up to the window and the dad and older girl got down and the younger one jumped to be caught by one of the residents.”
Fire crews from Hindley, Atherton and Leigh, along with an aerial ladder platform and the enhanced rescue unit, were all in attendance along with police and paramedics.
A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said:
“At shortly after 6am on Thursday (December 18) three fire engines from Hindley, Atherton and Leigh fire stations plus an aerial ladder platform from Bolton Central and the enhanced rescue unit from Leigh fire station were called to a fire in a semi-detached property on Laxey Crescent, Leigh.
"Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus used three hose reels and the short extension ladder to extinguish the fire.
Greater Manchester Police said that the circumstances of the fire are being investigated.
But a source said the early indications were that the cause might have been accidental.