A dad described how he started to "panic" after getting a call to say the flat he shares with his brother was on fire.
Darren Lawton, 25, received a call from his landlord on January 8 just after 1pm to let him know there was a blaze at his flat. After putting down the phone, the dad-of-two said he made his way to the flat, on Stevens Street in St Helens while "panicking" about his brother's safety.
After arriving at the scene he found his brother was unharmed in the incident and had managed to save their one-year-old XL bully, Georgie. Darren told The ECHO his brother had left the flat just 25 minutes earlier to go to a nearby shop and bookmakers.
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He said: "As he came out of the bookies he saw lots of smoke so ran down the alley and saw it was our flat. He ran in and grabbed the dog, who was scared and curled up in the corner, and a few of his personal items but said it was too hot to be in there.
"He ran to Waterfields bakery and asked them to ring the fire service. I was told by the landlord and didn't know if my brother was safe or not, I was really worried and panicking.
"When I arrived there was smoke coming from the roof."
Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service say they were called to the scene at 1.04pm, with seven fire engines and an aerial appliance attending. When crews arrived the flat was well alight, with smoke being seen coming from the windows and roof.
The fire service has now concluded its investigation into the fire and said the "damage was so extensive that a specific cause could not be determined at this time". Darren says he believes the fire could have been started by an electric heater.
Pictures from inside the flat show how the incident completely gutted the property. The flat has no roof and all of the windows have completely shattered.
All furniture in the home was burned with remains of clothes and a box of Heroes being all that's left. Darren, who did not have contents insurance, said he's lost everything he owns, including an old phone with pictures of his two children on and all of his clothes.
He's been put up in temporary accommodation while the landlord's insurance works to repair the property. A close friend, Dan Morris, set up a GoFundMe page to help Darren "get back on his feet".
He said: "I wouldn't have set something like this up for myself, so Dan did it himself as he knew I wouldn't have asked for help. It's really nice to see everyone that has donated."
To donate to the GoFundMe page click here.
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