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A fortnight ago, a devastating fire destroyed a house in Bargoed – leaving a family with ‘no possessions’ and more questions than answers.
Emergency services attended the fire on Gilfach Street, which was reported in the early hours of Sunday July 24. The cause of the fire was deemed accidental.
Emma Young is the daughter of the family that lived in the bottom flat of the property. She said: “Things have been confusing since the fire. My family have been OK, the three of them have moved in with me for the time being.
“We still don’t know exactly what caused the fire as we’ve had conflicting responses from the fire service. We do know that it started in the flat above however.”
Emma went on: “The man in the flat above was badly burnt, I saw pictures of his back and they were nasty.”
Caerphilly Observer contacted the Welsh Ambulance Service to confirm this and they released the following statement: “We sent three rapid response cars, an emergency ambulance and the Trust’s Hazardous Area Response Team to the scene, where crews were also supported by Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service colleagues. One person was taken to Swansea’s Morriston Hospital.”
Swansea’s Morriston Hospital is home to the only burns ward in south Wales.
Immediately after the fire, a friend of the family set up a GoFundMe page to help try and replace some of the possessions lost at the property. Emma has taken it one step further, inspired by the community response to the families tragedy.
She said: “I’ve arranged a fundraiser at the Capel Hotel, Bargoed, on Saturday August 20. We’ll have singers, a barbecue and a talent show, as well as lots of stuff for the kids.
“We’ve already raised £600 on raffle tickets alone and I’d love to reach £5,000. It should be a great day.”
Emma concluded: “Mum only found out she had cancer recently and now this. We have no idea when they’ll get their home back so at least this is something.”
The fundraiser starts at 2pm and tickets can be bought from the Capel Hotel for £5.
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