A family who were left with nothing after fleeing their home as it went up in flames have issued a big thank you to the local community for their help during and after the dramatic event.
Over £3,500 has been raised and essential possessions found for Sabina Olszycka and her three daughters Olivia (14), Emilia (9) and Maya (5) who have been left homeless after the fire in the Hawthorn Bank home they rented following the blaze shortly before 2am on Saturday, November 13.
Sabina herself suffered minor burns after heading back towards the flames when her step-daughter Allena (10) didn’t wake up to get out alongside the rest of them.
And Sabina’s husband Nasir Iqbal had to be pulled out of the flames by Robbie Eyre who lives across the road after the taxi driver, who was at work at the time, went into the home not knowing the family were already safe.
Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue said the blaze was caused by accident due to a faulty electrical appliance in the end terrace property.
It also spread through the roof to two other terraced properties which also had to be evacuated.
Sabina said that “motherly instinct” kicked in as she got all the children out of the fire.
“I was sleeping at the time but then woke up to go toilet.
“I noticed the TV was still on in one of my daughters’ rooms and went to turn it off, then my eldest daughter came in screaming that her room was on fire.
“It’s a bit of a blur after that, all I was doing was trying to get everyone out.
“I was shouting to everyone to wake up and brought them downstairs.”
Nasir’s daughter Allena though did not hear the calls meaning Sabina had to go back towards the flames leading to her hair burning.
“She took a long time to wake up,” Sabina said. “I think motherly instinct took over, but we got her out just in time.
“We didn’t have shoes, or clothes, nothing at all.
“The fire spread so quickly after that.”
Sabina rang Nasir just shouting “fire, fire” and he came straight home.
Thinking they were still inside he ran into the fire but after being unable to find them, he collapsed at the foot of the stairs.
Sabina and the children have been taken in by Robbie and Jodie Eyre who lived opposite.
Luckily Robbie had just got back from work and was banging on Sabina’s neighbours’ doors to get them out.
“I was just getting into bed when I heard her shouting ‘help’ and ‘fire’,” said Robbie who lives directly opposite. “I looked out and saw the family and obviously you don’t expect to see young children on the street at 2am.
“We told them to come inside and I started banging on the doors of the neighbours to get them out.
“That’s when I saw the man run towards the house.
“I ran after him shouting that the family were in our home but he didn’t hear and just ran up the stairs.
“When I got over and went in it was really smoky and I saw he was collapsed at the bottom of the stairs shouting ‘I can’t breathe’.
“I just grabbed his arm and pulled him out.
“I didn’t think anything of it really, even when five minutes later the roof collapsed.
“The main thing is that everyone was alright.”
Robbie and Jodie then waited with Sabina, Nasir and the children for 20 to 30 minutes until the emergency services came.
“I’m just so grateful for their actions,” said Sabina, who after staying with friend is now being put up in a hotel while South Holland District Council looks to rehome them.
“They did so much for us. I can’t express enough to them and everyone who has helped since just how thankful we are.”
The thanks include those who donated to the Go Fund Me page set up for the family by Paulina Gawel on behalf of Sabina’s sister Marysia who lives in Poland and doesn’t speak English.
Paulina, who lives in Spalding, said: “It was a miracle that they got out alive as the fire went up so fast they were unable to take anything from the house.
“I am so happy that we live in the place full of good people. Well done to everybody.”
A spokesman for Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue said: “Two crews from Spalding, and crews from Crowland, Holbeach and Kirton attended, along with the Aerial Ladder Platform from Boston. All persons had evacuated from the premises.
“The crews used four hose reel jets, ten sets of breathing apparatus, two nine metre ladders, a dry powder extinguisher and four thermal imaging cameras to extinguish the fire that was caused accidentally by an electrical fault on an appliance in the first floor bedroom.
“The fire affected the entirety of the house, plus spread to the roof spaces of the next two properties in the terrace. Two people suffered minor burns and were left in the care of the ambulance service.”
