A single mum and her two kids have been left with no choice but to live in a Travelodge in Bristol after a toaster malfunction led to a devastating fire that destroyed their home.
Dionne Barnes, 52, had been living in her two-bedroom flat in Croydon House, Easton, for seven years when the appliance started sparking and making “bang” noises around 3pm on September 28. Her son Toure, 16, was using the toaster when it malfunctioned.
The freelance security worker got a call from her son saying “the flat is burning down”, which sent her racing back to find smoke billowing and heat coming from the building even before she reached her front door. Although no one was hurt and the fire was confined to their 10th-floor flat in the 16-storey tower block, they couldn’t save any possessions as the “flames were too high”. Dionne said they’ve “lost everything”.
Now, Dionne, Toure, and her daughter Mihema-Re, 10, who wasn’t there during the incident, are temporarily housed in a Travelodge in Emersons Green, expecting to stay for at least a month until Bristol City Council can arrange temporary housing. A GoFundMe page set up by a family friend has collected nearly £4,000, leaving Dionne “overwhelmed” by the kindness shown.
“I feel emotional, I feel very displaced and out of sorts,” Dionne said. “I’m not me, I’m usually quite jolly and the life and soul of the party, but I feel melancholy.”
On September 28, Dionne said her son Toure was making some toast at around 3pm that afternoon. Dionne said: “The way he described it to me was that he went to make some toast but as soon as he turned it on, the toaster started to spark. According to Toure, he witnessed flames upon returning: “He said he came out of his bedroom to go into the kitchen and as he got to the door, he saw flames and ran.”
“I had a phone call and my son said ‘the flat is burning down’. Luckily, my cousin was there at the same time but he was just down at the shop so he got there a couple of seconds before me. I got there and I could smell smoke and feel the heat. My cousin said I couldn’t go in as the flames were too high.”
Avon Fire and Rescue Service was called to the scene, with Dionne saying they “came quite soon” and were “really, really good”. Fortunately, no one was harmed and the fire was limited to their flat, located on the 10th floor of a 16-story building.
Dionne added: “My initial reaction was relief – I thought ‘oh my god, my son is okay’ and then I was like ‘oh my god, everything’s gone’. It was just the fear, even though I know I’ve lost everything, but to what degree had I lost everything. We have managed to save photographs and documents but everything has gone practically.”
“My kitchen door actually wasn’t a fire door. I’m hoping to find out why there wasn’t one on my kitchen.” The family received assistance from a “fantastic” Bristol City Council representative who helped them find emergency accommodation.
Dionne said how they stayed at three different hotels before being placed in a Travelodge in Emersons Green without any cost to them. Describing her role within her community, Dionne said, “I’m a very homely person – it’s only me and my children who live in Bristol, most of our family are not here – so for our chosen family, I’m kind of like the base. It just doesn’t feel right to be in such limbo. I’m not used to needing help, I’m the one who is supposed to give help so now I’m the one needing it, it’s really weird.”
Returning to their damaged home has been an emotional ordeal for Dionne and her daughter, who is too frightened to enter the property. “It’s awful and I just burst into tears, it’s devastating to see,” Dionne admitted. “I’ve been back almost every day since the fire just to collect bits and pieces but I find it difficult to be in there – I just find it oppressing and a very sad place to be.
“My daughter was crying her eyes out and she’s scared to go in. I think my son is a bit traumatised, he’s trying to pretend he’s okay, but it’s affected him quite a lot especially as he is the one who was there.” Dionne has been told that they will be staying in the hotel until at least November 14, but she is still waiting for more information on what comes next. “The situation with temporary accommodation is dire, there is nothing really available at the moment,” she said.
The location is also causing problems when it comes to getting her children to and from school – a journey that used to take 12 minutes now takes an hour. “We’ve managed to get new school uniforms but it’s difficult to get them washed,” Dionne added. “Friends have offered me their kitchen so I can cook, and luckily I’m a good cook so I can feed other people at the same time, but it’s hard.”
A GoFundMe page has been set up by a friend of the family to help support them over the coming months, raising nearly £4,000 as of October 15. “I feel absolutely overwhelmed and I can’t believe the generosity of people,” Dionne said. “It just means that when we finally get somewhere, I can organise my children’s rooms and my children’s lives without having to worry.”
A spokesperson for Avon Fire and Rescue Service said: “We were called at 3:14pm on September 28 to reports of a fire in a high-rise residential building on Croydon Street in Easton, Bristol.”
“Crews from Temple Fire Station were first on the scene and found a fire in the kitchen of a flat. Four firefighters wearing breathing apparatus entered the flat and extinguished the fire. Thankfully no one was injured during the fire. The cause of the fire is thought to be accidental.”
Bristol City Council have been contacted for a statement. For further details or to support the family affected, visit their fundraising page at gofundme.com/f/help-for-dionne-and.
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