Family 'left with nothing' after blaze engulfs home

A mother has said she is still "shell-shocked" after waking up in the night at the weekend to find her house "full of fire".

Natasha Andrews said she woke up at about 23:30 GMT on Friday after her partner heard the fire alarms go off at her home in Seaford, East Sussex.

She told BBC Radio Sussex they managed to get her daughters out of the house but saw their "lounge was completely on fire".

East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service said the blaze was being treated as accidental and the cause of the fire was currently unknown.

Ms Andrews said: "By the time the fire service got there the house was completely engulfed in flames."

However, she said their neighbours were "absolutely fantastic" and "flocked around".

The family were treated for smoke inhalation and the children have "got some trauma" but are otherwise doing okay, according to Ms Andrews.

One of the family's dogs escaped the burning building, but firefighters confirmed one dog and three cats had died in the blaze.

Ms Andrews said: "It's been heartbreaking - they were literally part of our family."

Following the blaze, a friend of the family, Cathy Park, has set up an online fundraiser to help with essentials while they wait for a settlement with their insurer.

Appealing for help, she said: "They've lost everything, they literally have the pyjamas on their backs, that's it."

Ms Andrews said: "It's kind of getting worse every day with the realisation of everything that we've lost.

"You realise you haven't even got your simple necessities, like the kids for today didn't have any school uniform to go to school in."

She thanked everyone who had donated items so far.

Meanwhile, the family is looking for somewhere else to live.

"I'm trying to stay positive for everyone," Ms Andrews said, "hoping that we will find somewhere before Christmas."

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