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Devastating tumble dryer hearth leaves mom and her 5 youngsters homeless after thick black smoke engulfed household dwelling

A horror tumble dryer fire has left a mother-of-five and her family homeless after the blaze tore through their house.

Mandy Ebury, 56, has said it took just a matter of moments for the entire family home in Basingstoke to become engulfed in flames.

The incident occurred just before last Christmas, with Mrs Ebury recalling her first realisation that something was wrong.

Daughter Lola, 25, had noticed a burning smell after her mother loaded the dryer with a set of clothes.

A concerned Mrs Ebury walked backed along her hallway to see black smoke billowing from the appliance, prompting her to rush Lola, her 19-year-old son JC and their four dogs out of the house. 

The local fire service were on the scene just minutes later but the property had already sustained devastating damage.

Forced to spend Christmas in a nearby hotel, Mrs Ebury has since been told that it could take up to 18 months to fix up her home.

Mrs Ebury, who acts as a full time carer for her autistic son, has also spoken of the mental toll the fire has had on her family. 

The aftermath of the vicious blaze at Mandy Ebury's family home

The aftermath of the vicious blaze at Mandy Ebury’s family home

Mrs Ebury's hallway was left severely damaged by the fire smoke marks covering its white walls

Mrs Ebury’s hallway was left severely damaged by the fire smoke marks covering its white walls

Mandy Ebury (left) pictured with daughter Lola and son JC, who were both present when the fire broke out

Mandy Ebury (left) pictured with daughter Lola and son JC, who were both present when the fire broke out

‘We all left the house in a state of blind panic and I could see the flames getting bigger.’, Mrs Ebury said.

‘I felt afraid and anxious and angry because I felt I hadn’t been able to save my family’s home from the fire. I will never forget that day. It will be with me forever.

‘After the fire we seemed to be in a ‘no man’s land’ of emotions. It hadn’t quite sunk in that we were homeless. We were very much in shock.’

Recalling the horror of having to stand and watch her family’s home burn, the mother-of-five added: ‘Within minutes the fire service*arrived. As they opened the front door, we could see nothing but fire.

‘We were led further from the house and all we could do was stand there in the rain watching as our home burned.

‘My son and I had no shoes on. We stood in the rain dumbstruck. One of our neighbours came out and took us into her home, where she supplied hot tea.’

As for the family’s Christmas plans, they were also left in ruin with Mrs Ebury and her children forced to spend Christmas between two hotel rooms.

However, the 56-year-old did attempt to ‘make the best of a bad situation’ by purchasing a small tree and leaving gifts under it.

Over two months on from the fire, Mrs Ebury and her children remain in hotel accommodation awaiting further assistance from the housing association. 

The family bathroom in Mrs Ebury's home was also left blackened by the smoke damage

The family bathroom in Mrs Ebury’s home was also left blackened by the smoke damage

Images show the extent of the damage, with black smoke marks covering the walls of the home

Images show the extent of the damage, with black smoke marks covering the walls of the home

Mandy Ebury's kitchen lay in ruins in the aftermath of the fire

Mandy Ebury’s kitchen lay in ruins in the aftermath of the fire

An alternative view of Mandy Ebury's kitchen in the wake of the fire, with more smoke damage sustained the room's ceilings and wallks

An alternative view of Mandy Ebury’s kitchen in the wake of the fire, with more smoke damage sustained the room’s ceilings and wallks

The floor of the family's living room was also destroyed with the fire also causing damage to its door frame

The floor of the family’s living room was also destroyed with the fire also causing damage to its door frame

Mrs Ebury's hallway was left covered in soot and smoke marks by the blaze

Mrs Ebury’s hallway was left covered in soot and smoke marks by the blaze

‘It was hard trying to stay positive but we did it. Being a close-knit family really helped us through this time.

‘It’s definitely one of the worst New Years I’ve experienced. It’s going to be a while before we get our home back, maybe even a year.

‘It’s having a huge impact on our mental health. My daughter has counselling now. The images will never go away’, Mrs Ebury said.

The mother-of-five has been speaking to raise awareness of appliance fires ahead of charity Electrical Safety First’s annual fire safety week.

As part of the campaign, the charity has warned homeowners that white goods fires can happen for many different reasons and are urging everyone to take simple steps to reduce the risk of a fire occurring within their home.

Lesley Rudd, chief executive of Electrical Safety First, said: ‘Fires of any type can ruin lives, by damaging physical and mental health, destroying homes and putting lives at risk.

‘It’s easy to forget that they can start from the very appliances we interact with on a daily basis in our homes.

‘Fires from white goods can be caused by many different factors including, poor ventilation, wiring that may become damaged, a lack of maintenance, faults as well as overloaded extension leads if an appliance is connected through one.

‘We can all take just a few minutes to reduce the chances of one of these frightening fires from happening in our homes. Make sure you regularly clean lint filters on dryers and register appliances so that in the event they are recalled you can be contacted by the manufacturer.

‘Check to make sure cables are not damaged and avoid using extension leads, which might become overloaded and increase the risk of a fire occurring.

‘Fires can be particularly dangerous if they happen when you are sleeping, so if you can, avoid running your appliance at night as your ability to respond quickly to a fire will be decreased.

‘Don’t forget that fire alarms save lives, so it’s imperative you have one on every floor of your property so that in the event a fire occurs, you are alerted to it as soon as possible and can escape the building’.