Elderly couple left homeless after common garden chore sparks unstoppable blaze
Daughter Kendra Burrows is appealing for help after a devastating blaze swept through the home of her elderly parents, who have been left traumatised by their ordeal
The family of an elderly couple who lost precious mementoes when a weed burner blaze ripped through their bungalow has launched a desperate appeal for help.
Fire broke out on Saturday in the home in Prestatyn, North Wales, when Brenda Burrows, 83, used the weed burner - a device which applies intense heat to unwanted plants to destroy them - on her driveway.
With temperatures high and windy that day, embers from the treated weeds are believed to have swept under the garage door of the home in a freak accident.
A blaze then quickly took hold despite Brenda's best efforts to dampen it which left the couple's garage "100 percent damaged" and brought down ceilings and ruined furnishings in the home as well as wiping out precious memories.
Brenda's other half of more than 40 years Harold Sharp, who turned 90 the day after the fire, suffers from dementia and poor mobility and was watching TV when fire began to rip through the home. He was rescued by four neighbours, one of whom smashed a window to reach the elderly gent.
"My parents are very traumatised," said the couple's daughter Kendra Burrows, 55. "They're both in total shock.
"My dad has dementia so he keeps forgetting the house has been on fire, he keeps asking to go home which is impossible."
Kendra was working in South Wales when she received a phone call from her sister Toni, who lives in Wigan, Lancs. "An old friend had contacted her through Facebook," she said. "I answered the phone and my sister was screaming, saying the house was on fire. When I realised it was my mum's house, it was just total panic."
Brenda and Harold had lived in their home for 40 years and their family say it wasn't insured, meaning Kendra has launched a GoFundMe appeal to raise funds to repair the damage and get her parents moved back in as quickly as they can. The couple, who have six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, have been living with Kendra in Rhyl since Saturday and are about to move into temporary accommodation which is more suitable for their mobility needs.
Brenda and Harold's loved ones have already hired a skip to remove items destroyed in the blaze with the funds they've already raised. Shocking photos taken on Saturday show a huge plume of black smoke rising up from the couple's home with a burning fireball at its core. Inside the home, pictures taken after the blaze show insulation hanging through destroyed ceilings.
Kendra, whose parents have moved into her home in Rhyl, said she had been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from the local community. "We've had so many messages," she said. "We are so touched and grateful for all the help that has been offered."
A spokesperson from North Wales Fire and Rescue Service told the Rhyl Journal: "We were called to a fire... at 5.15pm on Saturday, May 17. The fire caused 100 percent damage to the garage of the property. Four crews attended. The casualties were given a precautionary check at the scene."
Caution should always be taken when using weed burners, with the risk of uncontrolled fires heightening in dry or windy weather.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South Wales Argus
2 hours ago
- South Wales Argus
Perfect pictures of Torfaen and Monmouthshire countryside
From rolling green hills to quiet canals, from wildlife to floral views, there is so much to see in the area. Fortunately, the South Wales Argus Camera Club is on hand to capture all the best moments on offer. With more than 5,700 members, the club showcases the very best pictures taken by amateur photographers in the region. Just take a look at the stunning pictures submitted this week. If you would like to have the chance to have your pictures showcased in print and online, visit the South Wales Argus Camera Club group on Facebook and request to join. (Image: Michael Fullagar) (Image: Tammy Louise Mountain) (Image: John Blue Williams) (Image: Marie Coombes) (Image: Alan Phillips)
The Herald Scotland
6 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Final push in Hamilton by-election as parties jostle for late support
The by-election was triggered by the death of SNP MSP Christina McKelvie. READ MORE Farage clashes with press and rivals during whirlwind Scottish campaign trip Sarwar: 'I genuinely fear about what the future of Scotland is' Find all articles on the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election here The SNP is the favourite to retain the seat, but both Labour and Reform UK believe they are the main challengers. Speaking to BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland, Professor Sir John Curtice said Reform were 'taking votes almost entirely from people who voted for Conservative or Labour or Liberal Democrat last summer'. 'They're taking very little from the SNP. Reform, at least, are not a problem for the SNP. The SNP have other problems, but Reform do not seem to be one. 'Indeed, by fracturing the Unionist vote, they have now ensured that at 33% the SNP are 14 points ahead of their nearest rivals.' 'Whoever wins this by-election — and to be honest, the SNP are the favourites — but frankly, we do not have any polling there. I think what we can anticipate is, if Hamilton follows the evidence of the national polls at all, it is going to be a close contest. It ought to be close between the SNP and Reform as between SNP and Labour, but maybe Reform will do somewhat better than the national polls. 'Either way, we could well be looking at the winner getting less than a third of the vote and winning by a small majority. I think probably that is the only safe prediction you can make about this by-election.' The campaign has been dominated in recent days by a widely condemned Reform campaign video accused of being both racist and misleading. The advert, posted on Facebook and Instagram earlier this month, used edited footage from a 2022 speech by Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, who had called for greater South Asian representation in politics. Reform's version added captions suggesting Mr Sarwar had pledged to 'prioritise' the Pakistani community — a phrase he did not use. Mr Farage has stood by the advert — which has now been viewed 1 million times — and accused Mr Sarwar of having 'a record of obsession' with race. Anas Sarwar and candidate Davy Russell (Image: Gordon Terris) Speaking to PoliticsJOE, Mr Sarwar said it was Mr Farage who seemed obsessed with him. 'Put bluntly, Nigel Farage is a pathetic, poisonous little man,' he said. 'He does not care about Scotland. What he did when he came here was expose how pathetic an individual he is. He wants to play on people's fears rather than genuinely improve lives.' Mr Farage visited Larkhall earlier this week in support of his party's candidate, Ross Lambie, but in chaotic scenes abandoned a planned walkabout with press, after wrongly accusing The Herald of leaking details of an earlier event in Aberdeen to protesters. Mr Sarwar said that while Mr Farage was dominating the media narrative, the issues on the doorstep were very different. 'This is the one campaign where what is happening on the ground feels completely separate from the national media coverage,' he said. 'Yes, there is frustration. But Farage is the circus turning up — and he is the chief clown.' 'There are certain things that go beyond party politics — challenging prejudice and hate is one of them — and I would much rather be talking about the NHS, the schools, our justice system, our defence, all sorts of policy rather than identity, belonging and the other issues that Nigel Farage seems to be obsessed about. 'He seems obsessed with me, by the way, actually, to be honest with you. I do not know what it is, about a guy that sounds like me, looks like me in a leadership position that makes Nigel so uncomfortable.' On Monday, Mr Farage conceded victory was 'improbable'. He insisted Reform could still place second and 'shake up' Scottish politics. 'If we win this by-election, it would be the biggest earthquake Scottish politics has ever seen,' he said. Ross Lambie the Reform candidate (Image: Getty Images) In his final message to voters, the First Minister said only a vote for the SNP would stop Reform. He said: 'The Labour Party has lost its way and Keir Starmer's abject failure to deliver on his promises has led to the concerning rise of Nigel Farage across the UK — something that will worry many across Scotland. 'Farage does not care about Scotland, and he also poses a threat to many of the things that we hold dear: our NHS, our Parliament and transformative policies like free tuition. 'This by-election is an opportunity to reject the politics of Farage and make sure Scotland's interests are front and centre — and only a vote for the SNP will do that.'
Scottish Sun
7 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
I turned my drab kitchen into a home using £12 bargain from Temu – people can't believe how good it looks
A SAVINGS-savvy homeowner shared impressive before-and-after snaps of her kitchen after nabbing a Temu bargain. Tracy Davies rid herself of her unsightly tiles with a handy £12 fix. 3 Using stick-on tiles from Temu, this kitchen has been given a makeover Credit: Facebook 3 These were the original tiles in Tracy's kitchen Credit: Facebook Using peel-and-stick tiles from the bargain website, she completely transformed the space. "From painted tiles which I absolutely hated to stick on times from Temu," she wrote on the DIY On a Budget Official Facebook page. "A massive improvement," she added. Tracy's bog-standard white square tiles have been covered with large, marble-style tile stickers, which give the kitchen a modern feel. Fellow home hackers were shocked by the difference the simple solution made. "Would love to do this, looks lovely," one wrote. "These look great, I'm going to look into getting these," another said. "I also used the stick on tiles to cover up ugly tiles in my kitchen," a third wrote. The good news is that the stickers are easy to apply, and no grout is needed. I wanted a panelled room but wasn't going to spend loads so risked it & bought £36 strips from Temu - I saved a fortune If you want to give your kitchen or bathroom some TLC, Temu offers a huge variety of stick on tiles in different colours and styles. Amazon, Dunelm and B&Q also sell packs of tile stickers. The tiles on Amazon range from £8 to £20, while at Dunelm prices start from £18. It's not just stick-on tiles that have home fixers jumping for joy - there are even self-adhesive wood panels to add a little extra style to any room. Betty, a content creator from the UK who is currently renovating her home, used dado rails to panel her hallway - and it left many open-mouthed. But while many were stunned and thought the DIY project was incredibly 'impressive', others thought it made Betty's home look 'dated'. Alongside her short social media clip, the brunette, who often shares beginner-friendly DIY tips and tricks online, beamed: 'This is your sign to panel your hallway.' She then added: 'If you're going to make one update to your hallway for maximum impact then let it be this! 'This has to be the panelling project that I'm most proud of (mainly because I finally tackled those angles).' Betty claimed that 'preparation is key' when it comes to panelling, as she pre-marked each location to ensure it looked neat once complete. She later revealed that she got the dado rails as part of a traditional stair panelling kit from Roomix. As well as adding panelling to her hallway, which Betty coated in Dulux Egyptian Cotton paint, she also painted the top of her walls in the shade White Mist from Dulux.
