Dad rushed to hospital after saving dog from family house fire in Sutton
A Sutton dad was rushed to hospital after saving dog from a fire at his home.
The Rawson family, Nicola, Bill, Morley, aged 11, Brody, eight, and Betsy, the dog, were awoken at their home on Columbia Avenue, Sutton, by their smoke alarm in the early hours of Tuesday, September 23.
Nicola Rawson said: “We all acted quickly and went outside and dialled 999.
“Bill went to get our lovely family dog Betsy who was scared and had ran upstairs, he instinctively followed her and managed to carry her downstairs and outside. He said the difference in the amount of smoke from chasing Betsy upstairs to seconds later coming back down was extreme.
“Bill had to be medically assessed as he took on the most smoke and he had to go to hospital to get checked over as paramedics could see black soot in his airways.
“We are currently stuck in limbo waiting for the insurance company and in the meantime everything is unsettled and uncertain for us.
“We are living out of a bag and buying food on the go which is super expensive and stressful.
“Betsy has been with us through everything and is our amazing comfort. She’s awesome.”
The damage from the fire has been extensive and the family are currently unable to live at their house and they have had to throw many of their belongings away, so they have set up a fundraiser to help.
Writing on the GoFundMe page, Nicola, said: “We rent the house we love and call our home, the landlords have buildings insurance that will cover the repairs to the electrics and the structural work and are going to cover the cost of an alternative place to stay for us while the work is done.
“Luckily the fire damage is localised to the cupboard, hallway and immediate areas around there. However the smoke damage is extensive and widespread throughout.
“We do not have contents insurance, which I’m giving myself a very hard time about.
“So this is what I’m asking for help with please.
“We need to discard every item of food in the house, toiletries need discarding, all our soft furnishings need replacing including mattresses and bedding, our fridge freezer was in the cupboard where the fire was so this will definitely need replacing.
“We will also need a lot of cleaning products and equipment as my supply, mops and hoover were in that cupboard too. We may even need to hire some air purifiers or something if needed and anything else that comes up once we are allowed home.
“Luckily clothes etc can be washed so they can be safely saved, thank you to those who have been doing washing for us and to others who have offered to.
“We have been blown away by all the support and offers of help and I feel that having help with the cost of all these items would help us the most.
“We are just a ‘normal’ family, we have a small amount of money saved for our family holiday’s spending money, we go in October, but this cost will have a massive impact on us and will delay us being able to go home safely.
“So if anyone can donate just a small amount it will really help us with these expenses.
“Any amount we get will only be used on these things and if we did get more than we need I would donate it to charity.
“Remember to check your smoke alarms, shut your doors and know your escape plan. These things absolutely saved our lives.
“Big special thank you to Ashfield fire station firefighters, you are amazing.”
A spokesman from Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue said: “We were called at 3.25am on September 23, to reports of a house fire on Columbia Avenue, Sutton.
“Crews from Ashfield Fire Station attended.
“The cause of the fire was water egress into the electrical circuit board in the property.
“One person was taken to hospital.”
If you would like to help visit www.gofundme.com/f/help-family-return-home-after-house-fire.