Fundraiser set up for family who lost everything in house fire
A fire spread from a vehicle to a property in Ruddlemore, near St Austell, on Monday evening
Last updated 5th Oct 2023
A family who lost everything in a house fire near St Austell on Monday are thanking the people who 'saved their lives'.
Crews were called out to Ruddlemoor, near St Austell, just before midnight on Monday 2 October after reports of a car on fire.
The family living in the house were alerted to the fire spreading, before fire crews arrived, after having a knock on the door from a neighbour.
"If they didn't knock when they did, we might not have got out"
Julie Hensby, who lives there, told us: "Everybody was panicking. My husband and the next door neighbour tried to think about what they could do with the fire.
"The fire service were on their way. Everybody was screaming get back. All the neighbours were running over the road with their children. It was just panic.
"I'm just so thankful for the people that knocked on our door because if they didn't knock when they did, we might not have got out or we may have been trapped in our front room. Or the children may have been trapped upstairs and we wouldn't have been able to get to them, because that was our only way out."
Julie tells us her son, who is disabled, uses an electric mobility van which went up in flames and spread to the house, which was also destroyed.
"Within 10 minutes the van just erupted in flames. Then it went to the house, our front door melted within seconds. The whole thing just went and flames went into the house.
"We just stood there watching. There was nothing we could do"
An investigation is now under way into the cause.
Julie added they didn't have house insurance to salvage their belongings: "We've gone in and we've tried to see if we can salvage anything, but it just smells. Like my reading glasses even, I got them and I've washed them and washed them and they just smell.
"It's just little things really. You just don't realise until it's gone."
A fundraiser has been set up to support the family after the blaze.
On the page, it says: "Their entire home and it’s contents have been destroyed.
"The children, Julie & Dave have lost absolutely everything they own so please if you can help, it all adds up.
"Every little bit helps towards getting themselves set back up with everything they need. And I know they will all be extremely grateful for all of your help!"
You can donate to the family, as well as see images of the damage, on the Go Fund Me page.