A mother whose home and children’s gifts were destroyed in a fire weeks before Christmas has said it became her family’s “best Christmas ever” thanks to her local community’s kindness. Rachel Siddall, a 32-year-old content creator from Mansfield, her fiancé Jason, 34, and her two children, Charlotte, two, and Jack, five, were left homeless on December 10, 2024 after the house fire.
The fire service stated the blaze was caused by an electrical fault and Rachel suspects this was from a faulty socket or a smart TV she bought a month before which had been left on standby. The fire left the living room and conservatory completely destroyed with the rest of the house severely damaged by smoke – but luckily Rachel was able to salvage sentimental items such as her engagement ring.
Seeking emergency accommodation, Rachel contacted Mansfield District Council but was appalled by the conditions of the one-bedroom hostel offered, saying there was mould, nowhere for her daughter to sleep and it smelled of cigarettes, which left them no choice but to move in with relatives.
PA REAL LIFE: Rachel with her fiance Jason. Issue date: Thursday January 9, 2025. PA Photo. See PA story REAL LIFE HouseFire . Photo credit should read: Family Handout/PA Real Life NOTE TO EDITORS: This image must only be used in conjunction with PA Real Life story REAL LIFE HouseFire . All usage is subject to a fee or incorporated into your outlet’s agreed content package. Find copy in full on PA Explore or contact PA Real Life at RealLife2@pamediagroup.com or on 020 7963 7175 for access or queries
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But the community rallied around them, with charities and strangers donating essentials, clothes and even a Christmas tree, enabling the family to move into a new rental home just days before Christmas. Rachel said: “People even donated a Christmas tree, and we didn’t have to buy anything for the kids for Christmas because the donations filled the whole living room.
“It was overwhelming, the kindness we experienced – I think the kids had the best Christmas ever, despite everything. Before the fire we were quite anti-social and spent a lot of time indoors, relying on technology and gaming – now, we just want to spend time with family and appreciate life.
“If the fire had happened a few hours earlier, when we were asleep, we wouldn’t be here.” For the past seven years, Rachel had been living in a rented, new-build, two-bedroom terraced house with her two children and Jason.
But on December 10, after dropping Charlotte at her grandparents’ house, Rachel returned home at approximately 11am to find thick smoke “bursting” out of the front door. She quickly dialled 999 for emergency services and she was “terrified” that her fiancé might still be inside, but fortunately he was out on a walk after taking Jack to school.
Rachel arranged for her children to stay with their grandparents and their biological father as she “did not want them to see the house at all”. After Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service inspected the house, they concluded the fire had started in the living room and was caused by an electrical fault.
They said it happened so quickly that it melted the fuse box and the smoke and fire alarms. Most of the damage occurred in the corner of the room where the television was located, so Rachel suspects the fire may have started from a faulty socket or the television she had purchased just a month earlier, which had been left on standby.
PA REAL LIFE: The fire service concluded that an electricity fault caused the fire. Issue date: Thursday January 9, 2025. PA Photo. See PA story REAL LIFE HouseFire . Photo credit should read: Family Handout/PA Real Life NOTE TO EDITORS: This image must only be used in conjunction with PA Real Life story REAL LIFE HouseFire . All usage is subject to a fee or incorporated into your outlet’s agreed content package. Find copy in full on PA Explore or contact PA Real Life at RealLife2@pamediagroup.com or on 020 7963 7175 for access or queries
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The living room and conservatory were “totally black,” with nothing salvageable and the rest of the house was “covered in smoke damage”. The family could not retrieve any belongings from the house, but the fire service contacted the British Red Cross who provided essentials such as toothbrushes, toys for the children and underwear.
That night, the family stayed with relatives and the next day, they visited Sharewear, a Nottingham-based charity, which provided them with donated clothes free of charge. “Me and my fiancé stayed with my ex-partner and his partner in their living room for a week, while the kids stayed with my mum and dad,” Rachel said.
“We had so much to do and only saw the kids once that week – they didn’t understand what was happening. That was so heartbreaking and my son kept saying he wanted to go home, and that was really, really hard.”
A few days after the fire, the family contacted Mansfield District Council, which placed them in a one-bedroom hostel. “It was really far away from our family support network,” she explained.
“Obviously, it wasn’t suitable for the kids at all, and they wanted to keep us there until after the New Year. We’re talking about cement steps, mould in the rooms, it stunk of cigarettes – the staff even told us it wasn’t a place for children.”
PA REAL LIFE: The fire ruined the living room. Issue date: Thursday January 9, 2025. PA Photo. See PA story REAL LIFE HouseFire . Photo credit should read: Family Handout/PA Real Life NOTE TO EDITORS: This image must only be used in conjunction with PA Real Life story REAL LIFE HouseFire . All usage is subject to a fee or incorporated into your outlet’s agreed content package. Find copy in full on PA Explore or contact PA Real Life at RealLife2@pamediagroup.com or on 020 7963 7175 for access or queries
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Rachel said there was nowhere for her two-year-old to sleep as she usually sleeps in a cot, but when she complained to Mansfield District Council they said they could not offer any more help. “They told us if we couldn’t accept the one-bedroom hostel, they wouldn’t offer us any help whatsoever,” she said.
“Heartbroken and so stressed”, the family felt as though they had no other option but to move back in with relatives. Since the fire, they have only been able to enter their house in face masks, goggles and hazmat suits to attempt to salvage belongings – including her engagement ring and some sentimental items belonging to the children such as their first clip of hair in a porcelain box.
With the fire happening just weeks before Christmas, Rachel also lost the few presents she had bought for her children. As the family were “effectively homeless,” they reached out to the Unity Project, an organisation that provides support to families in need of emergency accommodation.
Within days, the charity found them a house to rent for £100 more than their previous home per month and they were able to move in on December 18. “It’s a bigger, much nicer house, so it’s kind of a silver lining,” Rachel added.
To help them settle in, Rachel’s ex-partner’s partner set up a GoFundMe, raising more than £5,100. The funds have gone towards furnishing the house, buying clothes and purchasing Christmas presents for the children.
PA REAL LIFE: Rachel thinks Christmas 2024 was the best yet. Issue date: Thursday January 9, 2025. PA Photo. See PA story REAL LIFE HouseFire . Photo credit should read: Family Handout/PA Real Life NOTE TO EDITORS: This image must only be used in conjunction with PA Real Life story REAL LIFE HouseFire . All usage is subject to a fee or incorporated into your outlet’s agreed content package. Find copy in full on PA Explore or contact PA Real Life at RealLife2@pamediagroup.com or on 020 7963 7175 for access or queries
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The local community also rallied around, donating gifts, second-hand furniture, and other essentials. Rachel said: “I have more clothes now than I did before.
“Most of the donations came from strangers. People turned up at our door with bags of stuff – my daughter’s nursery even filled a car with gifts and clothes.”
Since moving in, the family has cherished their time together and gained a renewed perspective on life. Rachel admits she still feels anxious about another fire.
She explained: “I’m very vigilant – I put a key in the back door in case there’s a fire in the kitchen, and we switch everything off. The only thing plugged in when we go to bed is the fridge.”
A spokesperson from Mansfield District Council said: “We acknowledge the concerns raised regarding the temporary accommodation provided and take such feedback extremely seriously. The wellbeing of families and individuals in our care is our top priority, and we are committed to ensuring that all accommodation meets appropriate standards.
PA REAL LIFE: The hostel’s bedroom. Issue date: Thursday January 9, 2025. PA Photo. See PA story REAL LIFE HouseFire . Photo credit should read: Family Handout/PA Real Life NOTE TO EDITORS: This image must only be used in conjunction with PA Real Life story REAL LIFE HouseFire . All usage is subject to a fee or incorporated into your outlet’s agreed content package. Find copy in full on PA Explore or contact PA Real Life at RealLife2@pamediagroup.com or on 020 7963 7175 for access or queries
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“Under the Homeless Reduction Act, we have a duty to offer suitable interim accommodation to applicants in an emergency situation. Interim accommodation is offered to applicants that is suitable for the applicant’s needs, taking into consideration the size of the families and location to essential support, such as medical appointments.
“We aim to ensure that Temporary Accommodation is safe and provides the necessary facilities for families during challenging circumstances. The temporary accommodation facility is also due to start a refurbishment and expansion programme in early 2025, with over £2m allocated to the scheme.
“We aim to place individuals as close as possible to their support networks when helping secure longer-term accommodation; however, availability of temporary accommodation can sometimes limit these options. As part of the interim offer of accommodation, we provide bed spaces, including cots, for all applicants and adhere to the safe sleeping guidance for children.
“We operate a no smoking policy in all our accommodation buildings, with inspections undertaken regularly. Any reports to us can ensure we deal with issues. We will continue in our legal duty to support this family with their housing needs.”
You can find out more about Rachel’s GoFundMe here.