What a flaming shame

Photo: Vincent Brown

BURNT OUT. . . Joan Bower’s living room

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A DEVASTATED 89-year-old grandmother has been left homeless after a candle caused a fire that ripped through her house days after her insurance expired.

House proud Joan Bower is now coming to terms with the damage to her home in Firwood Park, Chadderton. Mrs Bower, who has been sleeping on her daughter’s sofa since the fire last Wednesday, fled at around 8pm after a burning candle fell over and started to ignote everything around it.

Fourteen firefighters quickly tackled the blaze, which wrecked the ground floor and sent smoke through the house.

Mrs Bower, a grandmother of nine, escaped unharmed - but realised that the week before she had decided not to renew her home insurance. She hadn’t got round to checking cheaper policies with the help of her daughter Julie Carey.

Mrs Bower is now counting the cost of the damage, which could cost more than £10,000 to repair.

Mrs Carey said: “She has been in absolute shock since the fire. There was a power cut so she lit a candle. Luckily she was able to get out in time, but the damage has been devastating. The house is ruined and she’s homeless. She has been staying on my sofa and living out of a suitcase. I’ve washed her clothes over and over to get rid of the smell of smoke. It’s all now really starting to hit her.”

The entire house will need redecorating to right the smoke damage, but without insurance, meeting the cost will be impossible.

The family has started an online appeal for £5,000 to help Mrs Bower get her life back in some sort of order and already more than £1,200 has been raised. Visit www.gofundme.com/5dpmj3xw to help