Buckland community rallies round disabled man and wife after fire rips through house before Christmas

A COMMUNITY has rallied round to support a disabled man and his wife who were nearly killed in a house fire which left their home devastated in the run-up to Christmas.
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David Johnson, 54, was saved by his wife Lyn after a fire ripped through an upstairs bedroom of their Sultan Road home in Buckland less than a week before Christmas.

Lyn only managed to save David after unusually deciding to stay downstairs to watch television rather than go to bed when she heard a loud ‘pop’ from upstairs before she discovered towering flames.

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The pair managed to escape via a specially fitted lift in the bedroom unaffected by the fire, allowing the couple to bypass the burning heat in the landing upstairs before going downstairs and fleeing to safety.

Fire at house in Sultan RoadFire at house in Sultan Road
Fire at house in Sultan Road

While the couple had a lucky escape, the house was left damaged with the upstairs left totally destroyed – including Christmas gifts. The downstairs was left two inches deep in water with carpets, flooring and furniture ruined.

The couple, who were kept in hospital for smoke inhalation following the fire, are unable to return home for another 10 weeks until the house has been restored.

Daughter Tasha said of her parent’s ordeal: ‘My mum stayed downstairs watching television while my dad was asleep upstairs when she heard a pop after wondering what was going on.

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‘She went upstairs and opened the bedroom door and saw the room was engulfed in flames. She woke my dad up but he was struggling to move. She managed to get him out after they went down in the lift.

Fire at house in Sultan RoadFire at house in Sultan Road
Fire at house in Sultan Road

‘It’s just lucky my mum happened to be downstairs because my dad wouldn’t have woken up as he has to take a lot of painkillers.’

A Go Fund Me page has been set-up after members of the community insisted on supporting the family in their hour of need.

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Two people forced to flee house fire

Tasha said: ‘We are not normally a family to beg for help but this is really out of our control and really don't know what else to do to try and help my mum and dad rebuild everything they have lost in their nearly 36 years of being together, or at least make some kind of start.

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‘Any donations received will be given to my parents when they are allowed to return in around 10 weeks.’

Currently £365 of the £1,000 target has been raised.

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