Unemployed and Victim of a Horrible House Fire

On Monday 24 September 2018, just after 4pm, the unthinkable happened, something that I thought would never happen to me. A fire broke out in the house wherein I was flatting. The fire was allegedly started by one of the occupants setting his own room alight. This was a very big house, with about seven bedrooms, and the fire started on the top floor, the second level.

I was living on the ground floor, and I also had a pet, a Cockatiel parrot named Jerry, who is my therapy animal, 'cos I suffer with depression & anxiety.

I managed to get out safely with only Jerry. A short while later, emergency services started to arrive, and a plan of action commenced to extinguish this fire that had engulfed so much of the house already. This fire was very "hungry" and it spread through the house very quickly. I was taken to an area of safety, and all that I could do was to watch this fire destroy everything in its path.

This fire was eventually brought under control, hours later.

As I was standing one side, I was very grateful to be alive, but my mind was also racing with thoughts of how one person can be capable of doing so much damage & instantly changing the lives of people.

During the night, I stayed with neighbors who offered to help out. I didn’t get much sleep during the night, due to worrying thoughts of how my life has just been affected by this fire.

The following day, I returned to the house that burnt down, to see if I was able to save any of my possessions. I could not enter the house yet, 'cos I had to wait for the Fire Inspector to conclude his investigation of the house, and then to confirm that it’s safe to enter.

Finally, when I was able to enter part of the house, I couldn’t believe the amount of damage caused. The smell of fire & smoke was still fresh in the air.

I managed to save about half of all my possessions, if it is even that much.

Finally, all I could think about was how my life has changed this instantly.

I now have to start all over again.