Two Derby families with young children were left homeless by a fire that devastated this weekend. Mothers Kali Brook and Yusra Sidiki were forced to flee the flames that ravaged 81 Blackmore Street and tore down the 83rd roof.
As the fire spread, Mrs. Brooke and her three-year-old son Marcus did not have time to store valuables, and the boy left home in socks because he did not have time to put on his shoes. Few have been saved from the burned shell of their former home in Sunny Hill.
The fire started from a barbecue in the yard next to Ms. Brooke’s home, according to investigators at the scene. She was then blown up and blown away by strong winds, tore off the roof of a neighbor’s garage and quickly set fire to the eaves of her house.
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Crowds gathered on Saturday night, April 23, to watch the fire spread, and dramatic footage showed its ferocity as it continued to grow. Blackmore Street was cut off because of the danger of exploding gas cans in the garage.
Derbyshire Live also understands that households in the area have been advised to keep their windows closed and indoors due to the risk of deadly asbestos from the burning roof of the garage.
On Sunday morning, the garage that caught fire first was a roofless projectile containing a burned-out vehicle and, remarkably, several unexploded gas canisters. Neighboring 81 Blackmore Street appeared to have been completely gutted and there was severe damage to the roof of 83. Numbers 85 and 87 remained cordoned off and their occupiers were also forced to evacuate.
At the time the fire broke out around 5 pm, Ms. Brooke was at the municipal property with her sons, three-year-old Marcus Brooke and 19-year-old adopted son Oscar Picavans.
Ms Brooke, 30, a manager at the British Society for Occupational Health, said: “My neighbor’s shed has risen and spread to my house. There were gas welding boxes in the shed, so there was a risk of unexploded gas.
“We lost everything. All the baby stuff and memories were left there and now she is completely gutted. All my three-year-old son’s toys are ruined. And the fluffy toy cat that he carries everywhere, we didn’t have a chance to get it and he was screaming for his cat.
“We didn’t even have time to put on his shoes. He is still upset and is with his grandmother, but he grabbed him by the chin and I told him we would have a new home.
“Akaal Primary School has started accepting donations for us, but at the moment we have nowhere to live, so they have nowhere to take anything. We are meeting with a housing officer on Monday, so we hope to have a place to live soon. “
Ms. Sidiki, a 36-year-old professor of biomedical sciences at the University of Derby, also had to leave home with her sons aged four and six when the fire broke out on the street. Her privately rented home is no longer habitable without a roof and severe water damage from firefighters’ efforts to contain the blaze.
She said: “I took an online class and saw smoke in the garden and pieces of debris falling from the sky. I took the children out and took them to a neighbor to take care of them.
“I entered the property last night (Saturday, April 23) and there is a lot of damage from smoke and water, so I have no idea when we will be able to return. The condition of the roof means that it is dangerous and can collapse.
“It is rented privately, but since we pay municipal tax, we were told that Derby Homes will try to find us emergency accommodation. Until then, we will have to rely on other people.
On the evening of the fire, the devices eliminated the fire in an apartment on Burton Road and were moved to Blackmore Street. Station manager Barclay Masterson of the Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service led the investigation into the fire and explained how the fire developed after old wood burned in a brazier.
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He said: “The fire investigation has concluded that this was an accidental fire caused by a garden grill.
“Unfortunately, the barbecue was placed too close to a garage that had a wooden door and a roof. The wind conditions caused the fire to jump from the brazier to the garage, which also had a fuel vehicle in the tank. As the fire progressed, the wind caused the fire to spread to the roof of the first property before passing through the roof space of a number of terraced houses.
“This is a devastating fire, damaging several homes and a caravan, but fortunately no one was injured.
With the onset of warmer weather, I hope that this fire can serve as a reminder to anyone who uses a barbecue, fireplace or garden grill to ensure that it is placed away from the house, garage, sheds, fences and all kinds of overhanging trees and bushes.
“We always advise people to have a hose pipe or bucket of water on hand when they have a garden fire or barbecue, but if the fire starts to get out of control, you should call 999 immediately.
“Due to the current wind conditions, the fire can spread easily and cause significant losses, as is the case here. That’s too high a price to burn old pieces of wood. “
Following the fire, a fundraising page was set up by Mrs Brooke’s sister, Bella-Ray Graham, who wants to raise money to allow her to buy the most important things, as her sister’s brother wants to rebuild his life after the devastating fire.
Miss Graham has launched a GoFundMe page that can be maintained here. She also receives donations of clothes to suit her 8- to 10-year-old sister and her young son Marcus. She also called for the donation of junk furniture, which will be put into use when her sister moves into a new home.
She said: “I am raising funds to help my sister start again, unfortunately her house cannot be saved and she has lost absolutely everything in this fire.
“I’m raising money so we can get her things like furniture, bedding, clothes, anything that can help them. If you can’t afford to donate money, I’m on Facebook under the name Bella-Raii Graham with a picture of me and my son in a car as a profile picture, if you can donate clothes or toys that are much appreciated, write me a message , we can organize a collection of clothes for a little boy size 4-5 and shoes size 11 and clothes for a woman size 8-10 and shoe size 5 – everything is appreciated, thank you. “
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