House fire begun by candle wrecks mum-of-four’s Dinas Powys home

A mother-of-four has described her devastation after her home was wrecked in a fire when a candle fell over in her bedroom.

Chloe Taylor, 25, said there was nothing she could to save her house by the time she realised it was ablaze, and she has “lost everything I’ve ever owned”.

She now wants to warn others about the dangers of candles, and said they should not be left unattended “even for two minutes”.

Nobody was injured, but her former partner is caring for her children, aged six, five, two and one, while she has been put in a hotel by a housing association, and it could be eight months before her home in Dinas Powys, Vale of Glamorgan, is repaired.

Ms Taylor was downstairs eating dinner when her fire alarms went off and by the team she ran upstairs, she said her whole bedroom was on fire.

“When I noticed the fire I realised there was nothing to do,” she said.

Ms Taylor said a candle fell on her bed but because a window was open, smoke was getting out and letting in oxygen, so the fire alarm was delayed in its response.

She said she had “no feeling” until she knew everyone was out of the house in safety: “My cousins were downstairs and they’re only 17, I told them to go home to ring my mum,”

“I rang 999 and got all my neighbours out of the houses attached to mine.

“The fire brigade took eight minutes to arrive. When they arrived the fire was spread by that point. They couldn’t find the fire hydrant outside which delayed it even more.

“It took around an hour to two hours to make sure it was OK. It was a very long process,” she added.

She described the whole upstairs as “unsalvageable”.

“All my belongings upstairs and are ash. I have nothing left,” she said.

“The damage downstairs is smoke and water damage and the only room salvageable is the kitchen.”

She said while losing practical things was difficult, she has also lost a lot of things she cannot replace.

“All my child’s sentimental things I will never get back now. We have nothing.

She has been put in a hotel by her housing association, but said she could be waiting up to eight months for her home to be repaired.

“It took me four-and-a-half years to make the home I wanted and I have to start again,” she said.

“I am numb at the moment to be honest. I’m still in shock. I’m just gutted, devastated, heartbroken.”

The bed which the candle fell onto was bought online and she now realises it was not fireproof. She wants to raise awareness of how dangerous candles can be.

“In two minutes your life can go up in smoke, I’ve done it so many times and it’s been fine – you don’t think it’ll happen to you,” she said.

“Don’t leave candles unattended even for two minutes. Blow it out even if you go to the toilet. It takes two seconds for your life to go up.

“It’s a shock to us all, so we’re all just trying to deal with it as best as we can to be honest.”

The damage led her to launch a fundraising page to try and rebuild her home, and she said she was overwhelmed by the love shown by people trying to help.

“I’ve not stopped crying. People have been so generous and caring,” she said.

“It’s a tragic accident. A candle can change someone’s whole life in seconds.”