A FAMILY whose York home was devastated by a fire say they face three months of “living hell”.
Vicky Rhodes’s home was destroyed after flames engulfed a row of houses in Joseph Edward Mews, in Bramham Avenue, Chapelfields, on Friday evening.
The 35-year-old, who has two teenage daughters, Chloe and Keeley, said her home was now uninhabitable for at least three months. But Vicky said City of York Council officials had offered only a room to house her, her daughters, and a three-week-old grandson, Dylan, who is in the special care baby unit at York Hospital after being born seven weeks premature.
“How do they expect the four of us to live in a room for three months?” Vicky said. “It will be a living hell.” Vicky said she was on the way home from York Hospital on Friday when she received a frantic call from Chloe.
“A neighbour had knocked on the door and told her to get herself and our dog out of the house,” Vicky said. “By the time I got home it was chaos. There were eight fire engines and thick black smoke everywhere.”
Vicky said she had not insured the contents of her home, so she would be unable to replace clothing, furniture and possessions destroyed in the fire.
Steve Waddington, the council’s assistant director of housing and public protection, said its main priority was to help find the residents who were left homeless by the fire suitable temporary accommodation as soon as possible.
He said: “Along with the other residents affected by the fire, Ms Rhodes and her family have been offered emergency temporary accommodation at a hostel or in bed and breakfast accommodation.”
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