A Birmingham father has described his devastation after his children 'lost everything' in a house fire that broke out near Manningford Road in Kings Heath on June 5. The blaze, whose cause remains unknown, spread to a home where someone was inside.
Father's account of the fire
Father-of-three Stu Shepherd, 34, said his children were out at the time, but his daughter's boyfriend was asleep upstairs. 'He came down and saw the garden was on fire. He panicked and called my daughter on Facetime who was with her mother,' Stu told BirminghamLive. 'My children's mother arrived minutes later and it had spread to the house with the fire brigade already dealing with it.' The boyfriend initially thought he was locked inside, leaving him 'very shook up'.
Damage and loss
The home's windows were open, and every room was damaged by smoke. The kitchen was completely burnt, and a ceiling above was at risk of collapsing. Stu said nothing could be retrieved. 'The fire service said nothing could be done, they couldn't even leave with a bag of clothes. All their clothes, anything of sentimental value, it's all gone.' He added that his children felt they had lost their 'safe space'.
Impact on the family
Stu noted that the reality hit when his children realised they wouldn't get certain items back. 'My son said it felt like the only house he knew, after growing up there, and he has lost everything. That home was his safe space, the same with my children's mother.'
Fundraiser launched
A fundraiser was set up by Stu's friend Aimee Taviner to provide essential items, living expenses, and support. Stu initially hesitated but now sees it as a goal for his children to return to their own home with their own toys. 'It's just about giving them some sort of normality,' he said. West Midlands Police was approached for comment.
