Kilburn Explosion, Help Family Get Back on Feet

Hello, my name is Scarlett and me and my family, Dan and our son Albie, who is two. We are having a really tough time at the moment. We are not able to return to our home as it's not safe. The police Investigation is still underway. We have been staying in a B&B emergency housing and are now being moved to an unfurnished temporary flat. I am being expected to pay two lots of rent, one for my home and one for the emergency flat.

 

It all started on the 23rd August with a small fire in our brick outhouse. Dan, my partner, went into the outhouse that morning to get his bag out for work. When he went in, the roof was black and walls were scorched behind our tumble dryer. The tumble dryer is underneath the window with the condensation tube wedged into the open window. The tumble dryer was plugged into an outside socket attached to the house. There were no sockets or internal wired in the outhouse.

We assumed the tumble dryer had caught fire, electrical fires are really common. There wasn't much damage done, I left the door and window open to air out. Thought nothing of it, I was starting a new job, Dan works full time and we have a two year old. I left it, Albie's pram was melted but other than that everything was fine.

 

On the 6th of September, around 10pm our neighbours alerted us that our shed was on fire again. The fire was in the exact same spot as last time. Albie's pram on top of the dryer was on fire.

This time it was so hot it had caused the window to crack and warp. More things were melted and damaged. My first day at my new job things were not going well.

We thought, it can't be the dryer... it's not plugged in. There are no electrics in the shed, it's very strange.

I called the police thay night, they said they would send someone out. Next day, I got a call. No one was coming, there was nothing they could do.

 

Friday the 10th September me, Dan and Dan's three children (from a previous relationship) were round. Lilly, 10, James, 12 Nathan, 14, were watching Friday night dinner on sky box sets. Albie was in bed. It was around 10pm.

 

There was the loudest BANG I've ever heard, like a bomb had been dropped. I looked up to the back door and I could see orange. Strange, the back door was locked. The windows were smashed. Glass was everywhere.

I ran up to get Albie and me the other kids ran outside where the entire street were out.

My brickouthouse had exploded.

There was nothing left.

We spent the rest of the night talking to police and fire.

The street was cordened off and the police fire investigators came.

It was a crime scene. Someone had done it intentionally. They put my baby and his brothers and sister's lives at risk.

 

Someone soaked rags and paint rollers in petrol, threw them through the window and ignited them. The fumes ignited instantly and the shed went BOOM.

 

It tore my gate off and impaled my car with wooden posts.

 

All my tinned, cupboard food was in the outhouse as storage as I didn't have my space in my kitchen.

 

They had to turn off the gas and electricity to my house so all the food in my fridge and freezer have spoiled.

 

We have nothing left, we have been staying in a B&B as the police have said it isn't safe for is to return.

 

Dan hasn't been able to see his children, it's taking him two hours and two buses to get to work.

Now they want to move us to an unfurnished flat, and futures are saying I will have to pay rent on both my home that isn't safe for me to live in, and the temporary flat.

The flat doesn't have a cooker, a bed, nothing. I dont know what I'm going to do.

I've lost so much in the explosion, I've lost so much that has been contaminated with glass from the windows being blown through.

 

I don't know why anyone would do this to us and I don't know how we can continue.

We have applied to be moved but this process can take week, months. I can't afford rent on two places for months.

 

So we're asking for help, with rent and replacing the things we lost. The insurance won't cover everything, it's limited and they may not approve it because the was covered for theft, not malicious damage.

 

It has taken a lot for me to set this up, but I feel like I'm drowning. I just need somewhere safe for my little boy, he has additional needs and moving from one place to another is hard on him. Dan is suffering with trauma from the event and the kids are still shaken up.

 

Thank you.