Family from Basingstoke raise awareness of fire risks after blaze destroyed their home

  • ITV Meridian's Derek Johnson reports

A mother from Basingstoke wants to raise awareness about the fire risks linked to electrical appliances after her house was destroyed by flames.Mandy Ebury managed to flee the home with her son and daughter following the blaze, but says they have been traumatised and believe it could have been caused by a faulty tumble dryer.The property is unhabitable so the family are being housed in temporary accommodation.

At the time of the fire, Mandy says flames and black smoke were engulfing the hallway.

  • Mandy Ebury describes the moment she first saw the fire

Mandy Ebury said: "I had done a load of washing. Couldn't get it dry - put it in the tumble dryer. I was finishing off a couple of little jobs in the downstairs toilet.

"Lola started saying, I can smell smoke. We went out into the hallway and there were flames and black smoke.

"The fire took hold so quickly and I was so scared for my children's safety in particular, I didn't think about my own."

Home office figures compiled by the charity Electrical Safety First show that there were 135 accidental electrical fires involving white goods across the South and Thames Valley between 2023 and 2024, which is more than two incidents a week.

The cause of the blaze is under investigation but it may have been linked to the tumble dryer Credit: Mandy Ebury

Giuseppe Capanna from the Charity Electrical Safety First, said: "Try not to run these white goods overnight or unattended when you're not there, try and be there when they're on.

"Don't plug them into extension leads, particularly don't plug more than one device into an extension lead because you will overload that extension lead."Check the wiring, make sure you have working smoke alarms on every floor of your house and just also make sure they're working smoke alarms."

Electrical Safety First says there are at least 1000 fires across the UK every year linked to these sorts of domestic appliances.

Mandy's husband wasn't home when this happened last November, but her son, who is autistic was. Her daughter Lola Ebury says she has had nightmares regularly since the fire.

  • Lola Ebury, Mandy's daughter says she struggles to sleep at night

Lola Ebury said: "Make sure you have a fire plan especially if you have disabled family members.

"I have nightmares regularly, I have to sleep with the TV on now just to feel normal and I get anxious just being near the house."

Mandy says the incident has traumatised the family, they had the tumble dryer for a few years so didn't expect the blaze to start.

The cause of the fire is under investigation and the family remain in temporary accommodation.

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