Appeal set up to help Thurlby family who lost everything in blaze

Appeals have been set up to raise cash and clothes for a Thurlby family who lost all their possessions in a fire.

Simon Field, Emily Zamorski and their son Finnlay, seven, have been left homeless after the blaze which happened at their home in Beck Way at about 9.45am on Saturday.

The fire started in Finnlay’s bedroom and destroyed most of the family’s possessions.

As they look for temporary accommodation, the family have had to cram into Simon’s mum’s one-bedroom flat in Deeping St James.

Simon’s kind best friend, Simon Bell, has set up a JustGiving Page, to raise £1,500 for the family to pay for temporary accommodation while repairs are being carried out to their home.

Neighbour Justine Maynard is also collecting clothes for the family.

Simon said: “I would like to thank everybody for their help.

“I am so grateful, it is absolutely fantastic.”

Justine said: “I am just doing what anybody would do. I imagine anybody in the street would do the same for us.”

Finnlay, who attends Langtoft Primary School, was watching TV when he noticed a plug socket in his room was on fire.

The heroic youngster immediately went into his parent’s bedroom and told his father that they had to leave the house.

Once the pair had escaped to safety, Simon, 27, called the fire brigade who were on the scene within 15 minutes.

Before fire crews from Stamford, Bourne and Market Deeping arrived, Simon,26, went back into the house to rescue the family’s two cocker spaniels. He also attempted to fight the fire but was unable to tackle the flames as it had quickly spread.

Emily, 26, who runs a mobile beauty therapist business, was at work when the fire broke out, and later arrived on the scene after Simon phoned her.

Simon praised his son for his quick-thinking actions.

He said: “If he hadn’t have said anything we wouldn’t have been able to get out of the house.

“Without over egging the pudding, I really do owe him my life.

“He said we have a house on fire, we need to go. It was so brave.”

Before he left his bedroom, Finnlay ensured he grabbed his much-loved comforter, a bear called Doug, which hes sleeps with every night.

Neighbours demonstrated true community spirit when they rallied round to help the family.

As the fire raged, Justine, a mother of two, took Finnlay and the two dogs into her home and looked after them.

Her partner Craig Stevenson, who is a plumber, gave Simon some jogging bottoms to put on as he was wearing just his dressing gown when the fire took hold.

Other kind neighbours, Daniel Jukes and his wife Helen have washed some of the clothes the family managed to salvage from the fire and have even provided clothes for Finnlay.

The blaze also caused the first floor of the home to be severely damaged by smoke and the cause of the blaze is still being investigated by fire crews.

Thankfully, Simon and Emily’s insurance company has pledged to pay for the repairs to the house but it could take nine months before the family can move back into their home.

To donate cash visit www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/simon-berry

To donate clothes to the family e-mail: justine.maynard@hotmail.co.uk