AN online appeal has seen nearly £1,000 raised in a week to support a West Somerset woman and her three children left homeless after a devastating house fire.

The fire in Woodland Road, Watchet, broke out at about 1.30 am and destroyed the kitchen and an outbuilding, and saw thick smoke ruin every other room in the property.

Fortunately, Carla Cridland woke to the smell of the smoke and was able to grab her children and rush outdoors, with local firefighters arriving in just seven minutes.

Ms Cridland said: “If I had not woken up to the smell of smoke it would have been much worse, it could have been a lot different.

“As it is, I have literally lost absolutely everything.

“The kitchen was the worst part, but the smoke damage is that bad, all the walls are black, the whole house, beds, clothes, everything has gone.

“My youngest is absolutely traumatised.”

Landlord Magna Housing Association has found temporary caravan accommodation for this week for Ms Cridland and daughters Alana, aged 14, and Ruby, aged 12, and seven-year-old son son Aj, after which they plan to move the family to Williton until they can return.

But Ms Cridland said it was likely to be a long time before she could go back because the house was now believed to be contaminated by asbestos released by the fire, meaning there was nothing whch could be salvaged from the property.

Ms Cridland said a big concern was that smoke alarms in the house did not sound during the fire, making her believe the cause was an electrical fault rather than a tumble dryer as the fire service initially thought.

She said money from a GoFundMe appeal set up by her close friend Jophie Bruford would help her make a start on replacing appliances, beds, clothing, and everything else.

Ms Bruford said the family had been left ‘with nothing but the clothes they were wearing’ and now faced ‘the heartbreaking reality of having to rebuild their lives, without the basic things most of us take for granted’.

She said: “Carla is a devoted mum who has always done everything she can to care for her children.

“Now, she needs our support to help give them back their home.

“These funds will help Carla and the kids massively, when the time comes for them to be able to move back into their home.”

A Magna spokesperson said: “Following the recent fire at one of our homes in Watchet, our primary concern remains with the customers affected.

“We are in direct contact with the family and are providing them with support, including helping to secure longer-term temporary accommodation until their home is safe to return to.

“Currently, the cause is not known but we are continuing to liaise closely with Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue, who are leading the investigation.

“We are grateful to the fire service for their swift response and excellent work in managing the incident and will continue to support the family through this difficult time.”