Woman whose home was ruined in hoverboard fire thanks Beverley community for their support
Louise Evans was out with her son when the board caught alight
Last updated 26th Sep 2023
A woman in Beverley, whose house was ruined when her son's hoverboard caught fire, has said she feels 'lucky' despite what has happened.
Louise Evans was out with her son when the board caught alight on Saturday. Her daughter was in the house at the time but managed to escape unharmed.
She has now described the moment she first found out that something was wrong.
She said: "My daughter was on the phone saying 'the house is on fire' and that she was outside.
"By the time we came home in the car, which was literally 2-3 minutes drive away, it was just ablaze, all the smoke and fire was coming out of every window."
With soot from the fire covering the house, the family was left with little more than the clothes on their backs.
Louise added: "Every room has just a thick tar-like consistency. It's like soot but a lot stickier and a lot thicker, so basically nothing at all is salvageable."
At the moment, the family is staying at an Airbnb rental, with offers for temporary accommodation flooding in.
A JustGiving page, set up by a friend to pay for a place to stay more long-term, has also now reached over £3000 in donations.
In the days since the fire, Louise has been left to reflect on the generosity of people from her community, many of whom shoe doesn't know.
"In my messenger chat I've got over 1000 messages that I can't even read at the moment because I'm so swamped with everything.
"I just want them to know that every single message is appreciated, every single donation of clothes, books, toys, everything, has been really appreciated."
"Some of these people are strangers I've never met before, just donating so I can get some teddies for the kids.
"I can stand here in my burnt-down house and think yeah, it's sad but it is just stuff.
"What makes me emotional is everybody who has rallied around me."
A link to the JustGiving page can be found here