'I could have lost my wife or daughter in house fire'

A father whose family lost all their belongings in a devastating fire at their home earlier this week said he was lucky his wife and 12-year-old daughter, as well as their cats, "made it out alive" and has vowed to make the most of life in the future.

A blaze broke out in the kitchen of Derek Smith's home, on Thomas Street in Atherton, Wigan, shortly before 11:30 BST on Monday.

The 30-year-old described it as "one of the most tragic days of our lives", but said it "could have been a lot worse" and has made him see life "in a whole new way".

He said: "We are just lucky to be able to tell our story."

A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said four fire engines attended the fire, which began in the kitchen of the property on 27 July.

Derek, a mental health volunteer, said he left the house at 08:00 BST, leaving his wife and daughter at home for the day.

Less than four hours later, Derek received a call from his wife - but she was so distressed he could not understand what she was saying.

"She wasn't making any sense - she was distraught, she was crying her eyes out.

"I could hear my daughter was crying her eyes out too."

Aware something was wrong, Derek called his mother, who told him the house was on fire.

"Never in a million years would I have thought that a few hours later I'd be getting a phone call saying the house has gone, and everything that's in it... was gone," he said.

"I was distraught. I just wanted to get back as quick as I possibly could.

"I needed to know if they were safe.

"All I heard was 'fire'.

"You see it on the news all the time - that houses set on fire and people don't get out.

"So I was thinking the worst really."

Derek later found out his wife had smelt smoke when she was cleaning the living room, and had opened the kitchen door to "billowing black smoke".

Arriving home, he said he was relieved to find his wife and daughter had got out of the property unharmed.

"I was still panicking, but it was a better peace of mind that I knew they were out.

"They could have lost their lives in that house."

All five of the family's cats had also been safely evacuated.

"The main factor is the family, our pets... made it out alive."

Derek said he and his family have moved into a nearby hotel, supported by Wigan Council.

"I went back [to the house] and nothing was salvageable," he said.

"My daughter only has the slipper-boot shoes that she ran out of the house wearing.

"I said to her we should go for a walk, but she had no shoes."

Since posting his story to a local community group, Derek said he has received lots of messages of support.

"It's mega really," he said. "I'm so glad to have supportive friends, and family as well.

"Stuff like this makes you realise that communities do get together in times of need.

"I've never been a person that's willingly wanted to ask for help, but this has made me see a whole different side of life.

"It's opened my eyes completely."

While Derek said he does not know if any part of the house can be saved following the significant fire damage, he is trying to look to the future, saying the experience had made him want to make the most of life.

"There's so many things going forward that I'm going to do with the family," he said.

"We've never travelled abroad. I'm going to look into getting the family abroad next year somehow."

"There's a lot of things that I want to do," said Derek. "This has made me realise that life's too short."

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