Didcot fire leaves couple with nothing

Danielle Aplin, 30, and Lydia Dooley, 39, were devastated to find their house in Mendip Heights in flames after returning from visiting their families on Easter Sunday.

The building had caught fire from a neighbouring property and a police investigation is currently ongoing.  

The back of the house damaged by the fire in Mendip Heights, Didcot.

READ MORE: Cat dies in devastating house fire

The couple, who had lived in the home since 2016, were told about the fire by Miss Dooley’s son, 17, who was alerted to the flames by their three dogs at about 5.30pm.

Miss Aplin said: “The fire had caught our garden fence and blew our back doors off and the neighbour’s house went up in flames.

“Lydia’s son and his girlfriend were asleep in bed at the time and our dogs saved their lives as they had started barking downstairs.

The couple don't know what has survived in the house as it is unsafe to enter

“When the fire brigade showed up and put water on it everything started popping. Everything is smoke damaged, our whole kitchen is dusty, our living room has melted.

“We had just redecorated our whole downstairs with new carpets and a new sofa but everything is black and sooty now.”

READ MORE: Fire station called to flipped cars in early hours

Miss Dooley added: “My son was very traumatised, he was very shaken and crying. It was just complete devastation.

The couple had just got new carpets and sofas.

“The fire brigade managed to save our cat but the other went missing and we left thinking our cat had died which was another devastation for us.

“We were living out of black bags and running around Didcot looking for our cat and thankfully we found her.”

The cats are now being looked after by neighbours while the couple and their dogs have been moved to a one-bedroom flat in Wallingford.

The 17-year-old son was saved by the dogs barking.

Their house isn’t safe to enter so it has been boarded up. The couple only have one pair of shoes to share between them and a few items of clothing.

Miss Aplin said: “We managed to grab a television but it was fire damaged. We don’t know what has survived or if our family memories in the loft are okay.

“As long as everyone is safe that is the main thing but it’s just juggling everything else in the meantime in a town we don’t know.”

The couple described the incident is "complete devastation".

READ MORE: Two fires in Oxford woodland lit deliberately, fire service says

Miss Dooley added: “We’re starting from scratch again. We need knives, forks, and clothes.

“I don’t know whether I would want to move back into the house if it could be salvaged, it has difficult memories now.”

The couple said they've never done a fundraiser but they need help starting again

The couple now hope to raise funds and donations to help them get started in a new house. To donate, click here.

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