A family was left heartbroken after a fire tore through their home and killed their dog. The family of 38-year-old Poppy Edwards are now staying in temporary accommodation after a fire, possibly caused by a faulty toaster, destroyed the kitchen in their rented home in Penrhyn Bay, Wales, on Monday.
Mr Edwards and her partner Eddie, 40, were not home when the fire started, North Wales live reported.
The fire started when they were out of the property and their children were in school, but the fire unfortunately still claimed the life of their beloved seven-month-old dog Lola, a Cane Corso.
Eddie explained that Lola was the “little baby” of the family and was like “one of the kids”.
In tribute to her dog, Poppy said they would be happy to lose their belongings if Lola had survived the fire.
She said, “The guilt of knowing she was home alone will haunt me as long as I live. We will never forget you, little one, a little piece of my heart died with you.”
Three crews from the North Wales Fire and Rescue Service from Llandudno and Colwyn Bay attended the blaze from 12.07am on Monday.
Extensive damage has been done to the kitchen and there is heat damage to the rest.
A spokesperson said it was likely due to a faulty electrical device.
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Heartbroken by the incident, Mr Edwards added: “Our beautiful baby Lola. From the first moment we saw her we knew she would be special. Our tiny little horse.
“She stole our hearts and was so loved by everyone. I just can’t put into words the devastation and horror we feel. It’s such an unbearable loss and the pain is just all consuming.”
She added: “The landlady has gone above and beyond and helped us. She has been wonderful.”
A grateful Eddie thanked a postman for noticing the fire.
Eddie said, “Fair play, the postman saw it first. He ran around the back and banged on the window in case anyone was in. He knew nothing about the dog.
“It would have been too dangerous to go in anyway because the fire was so intense. I have a buddy who has seen the smoke from the Great Orme.
“I got a call from the police saying, ‘You have to come home. There’s a ‘fire’. They don’t want to panic you.”
They rushed back, but the flames had already done a lot of damage. He said: “The fire brigade asked me what was in the corner in the kitchen and I said the only thing was the toaster.
“We had only used it four times and hadn’t used it for two weeks before the fire. It was plugged in, but it’s not like it was being hammered.”
Eddie added: “It’s scary. You don’t expect it. I went to the supermarket to warn them about it. I would tell people, ‘Watch out. The next family might not be so lucky’.
“Now I make sure everything is turned off.”