Community Unites To Help Family Rebuild After House Fire

A devastating house fire on Wednesday, November 6, has left a single mother and her five young children with nothing but the clothes on their backs.

Firefighters arrived at the Napier Street home just after 2pm to find it fully engulfed in flames. While the fire has left the house in ruins, it is believed to have been caused by a faulty electrical appliance.

Just an hour before her children were due to arrive home from school, the Mackay mother was alerted by the smoke alarms and managed to escape the house in time without obtaining serious burns or lung damage. Though treated for smoke inhalation at Mackay Base Hospital, she was not seriously injured.

In the wake of the fire, family have since reached out for help through a local Facebook page, asking the community for donations of clothing, food, and household items. The response was overwhelming as the comment section quickly flooded with offers of support, including donations of furniture, accommodation and food vouchers, all aimed at helping the family rebuild.

The mother expressed her gratitude in a sincere comment that read: "Thank you all. I don't have many words but thank God I was safe in this house today and my girls were at school.

“I thank God for some of the neighbours that helped, as well as the emergency crew. Our past just went up in flames, but thank God my car is okay.

“I just thank God my girls and I are okay at the end of the day and that we weren’t hurt."

The community's response has been nothing short of a blessing, with family members, friends and local residents offering their support in a magnitude of ways. While the mother is heartbroken over the loss of her family’s possessions, she is grateful for the outpouring of kindness from her community as they face the challenge ahead of rebuilding their lives.

With Christmas just around the corner, the timing of the fire only adds to the emotional and financial strain. However, despite the monumental task of replacing everything, the community is determined to get this mother and her children back on their feet. A GoFundMe page has been created by a family member to assist with the financial and emotional burden, offering hope that they can regain a touch of normality in time for Christmas.

“We will need support in this hard time, and thank you to those that are willing to help. It honestly means a lot,” said the mother.

For those willing to help, please consider donating at www.gofundme.com.

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A single 40-year-old mother to five has lost everything in a Napier Street house fire just weeks before Christmas

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