Woman ‘loses everything’ in Dewsbury house fire but neighbors’ reaction is amazing

Residents of a Dewsbury street have come together to help raise money for their neighbor who ‘lost everything’ after her home was destroyed in a fire.

The fire broke out at the home of Christine Bedford, 71, in Stonehyrst Avenue, in the early hours of Sunday morning, June 9.

Christine was in her home with her great-grandson when the fire broke out. Sadly, both her dog and her nephew’s dog were killed in the fire – despite the best efforts of neighbors to try and save them.

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Both Christine and her great-grandson managed to escape the house and were taken to hospital for treatment. Now they are both back home and unharmed, but Christine’s entire house was destroyed, along with all her clothes and belongings.

Sarah Townend, 30, from Dewsbury, is one of Christine’s neighbours rally to raise money to help her rebuild her house. She said: “It is not in a habitable condition. The house was left in a complete mess and everything inside was destroyed.”

Christine has temporarily moved in with her niece and does not know when she will be able to return home.

After learning of the devastation caused by the fire, the people living in Stonehyrst Avenue came together to think of ways they could help Christine. “We have a WhatsApp group for everyone who lives on the street,” Sarah explained. “As soon as we found out what happened, everyone started posting there and talking about ways we could help.”

Sarah established a GoFundMe page and so far £2,220 of the £3,000 target has been raised. She added: “The damage to her house is so bad it will cost a fortune to get it back on track. Everyone on the street wants to support Christine as much as possible.

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Sarah continued: “We have all been devastated by the news. We’re glad she and her great-grandson made it out safely, but it’s terrible.”

Sarah also contacted a local builders yard to see if they could help donate building materials to help start the rebuilding of the house. Other neighbors organized a raffle and started posting flyers through people’s doors to get anyone who could help.

Sarah added: “Christine is lovely – he is so caring and very chatty. She’s ex-army so she’s a great woman. She is a pillar of the community and would do anything to help anyone.”

An investigation to determine the cause of the fire is still ongoing, although it is believed it may have been started by the dryer. To find out more about Christine’s fundraising and to donate, click Here.