Community rallies to support Durno family after 'devastating' fire
An Aberdeenshire community has rallied round a family following a devastating fire at their home.
Jenni Smith and Blair Tennant's family home in Durno, near Inverurie, went up in flames on Sunday afternoon.
The family-of-six said they were 'heartbroken' to have lost their home and all of their belongings.
But amid the tragedy, they have been 'overwhelmed' by the support shown to them by their local community.
'We are truly heartbroken and cannot put into words how upsetting this has been for us,' Jenni told The Press and Journal.
'Losing everything we own, including memories and keepsakes that can never be replaced is incredibly hard.
'We are still in compete shock.
'It has not quite sunk in yet how catastrophic it has been for us all.
'We are though overwhelmed with the support given to us from the residents of Durno, surrounding villages, the Inverurie community and most of all our family and friends.'
Though she did not know the family personally, Durno resident Nicola Craigen decided to start a fundraiser to support them.
Almost £6,000 has been donated so far.
Jenni added: 'Nicola, whom we have never met before, kindly set up a GoFundMe page for our family.
'We are so grateful for that and the to the people who have generously donated money, clothes, toys and much more.
'We can't express how much this means to us.
'It's so humbling to know there are so many kind people out there.'
Nicola came home on Sunday afternoon to find fire engines blocking the road and smoke rising from her neighbour's roof.
It is understood the fire started in a van and quickly spread to the house, where the couple lived with children Blair, Kian, Meadow and Sunday-Maë.
'It was a terrible shock,' Nicola said.
'Once it took hold, it progressed quite quickly.
'The thing that struck me the most was the sound of all the smoke alarms going off.
'I thought of starting a Go Fund Me to help the family and cheer them up.
'It could happen to anyone.'
Luckily, nobody was injured as a result of the fire but the young family have been forced to start over.
As well as donations to the online fundraiser, neighbours and friends have dropped off clothes, toys and other essential items.
Jenni added: 'We would like to especially thank our neighbours Susan and Willie Penny for their support on the day of the fire and since.
'They are the best neighbours anyone could wish for.
'Julie Nash and her family have also taken in donations at their house for us and looked after our dogs.
'We'd like to thank so many people for their kindness towards us at this difficult time.'
The fire service dispatched four crews to the property at the weekend.
A spokesperson said: 'We were alerted at 2.45pm on Sunday June 8 to reports of a house fire in Durno.
'We sent four appliances to the scene, where firefighters worked to extinguish a fire affecting the roof space.
'There were no reported casualties and crews left the scene after ensuring the area was made safe.'
The family said they are still in shock after the blaze.
'We have a long road in front of us but most importantly we have each other and the best support from family and friends,' Jenni said.
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