A FAMILY whose house was devastated by fire has warned about the importance of being insured.

Momina Ilyas said her parents’ home in Canterbury Avenue, Bradford, was gutted in a blaze on the afternoon of September 27 and since then they have been living with different relatives while they attempt to get repairs done and move back in.

“The fire started from outside and it spread really quickly. We still don’t know how it started,” said Miss Ilyas, 27.

“My younger brother Adil, who is 15, had just returned from school.

“My mum and brother were alone at home when they heard some noise described as fire crackers coming from the back garden.

“My brother saw a fire on the neighbour’s fence approximately six feet high and evacuated the house with my mum as quickly as they could with no belongings. They immediately called the fire brigade but within minutes the fire had burst through the windows entering the property destroying the house and all its furnishings.

“We have lived there since I was around three years old and until last year my parents Mohammed Ilyas and Radia Tabassum, had house insurance.

“Both my parents have health issues. My father, 53, has a lung disorder and my mum, 51, suffers from rheumatoid arthritis. My father is unemployed because of his illness and as finances were tight they decided not to insure the house this year.

“They assumed that because there had never been a problem that they would be okay but this has proved that it is not worth it not to have home insurance,” said Miss Ilyas

She started a crowd funding page with JustGiving to try and raise money to repair the house so the fragmented and homeless family can get their home back.

“The response has been unbelievable, “ she said: “Already more than £13,500 has been raised and we are so grateful. We have started doing work on the house and have been told it will cost around £40,000 altogether.

Our local mosque, Al Mahadul Islami, has been massively supportive of us by spreading the word and organising people to carry out work.

“I’m a production manager at Hallmark and colleagues have held a bake sale to raise money for us. We have been left speechless by everyone’s kindness.

“We just all want to be together again. We are sofa-surfing at separate houses thanks to friends and relations but we want to be back in our own home.

“My brother is in his GCSE year and is staying with a friend so he can get to school.

“The whole experience has been devastating and has left us all exhausted.”

A spokesman for the fire service confirmed a call was made at 2.47pm on September 27.

Crews from Odsal and Bradford attended and an inspector said a fire had spread from an outdoor shed.

To donate on the fundraising page go to: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/milyas