A FAMILY-OF-FOUR are in desperate need of children’s clothes after they lost "pretty much everything" in a horrifying house fire.

Rachel Smeeth, 22, and partner Daniel Casson, 27, were told by paramedics they were "lucky to be alive" after their house in Sussex Close, Church, was was ravaged by fire.

Firefighters from Hyndburn spent two hours tackling the blaze which had started in the kitchen at 1am last Saturday.

Mr Casson managed to get their three-year-old daughter, Katie-Louise Smeeth out of the house, the couple fought three times to reach their three-week-old son, Matthew, struggling through the smoke.

Miss Smeeth managed to save Matthew and the family were taken to hospital.

Now the couple are looking for clothing for their children after their belongings perished in the blaze.

Miss Smeeth, a former shop worker, said she woke up and realised something was really wrong.

She said: “We immediately panicked as we could feel the heat and smell the smoke.

“It became very thick very quickly and it was absolutely petrifying.

“It took four attempts for Daniel to get our baby boy out of his room because it was so hot and there was a wall of smoke in his room.

“I thought I was going to die, I thought my family son and boyfriend was going to die, it was the worst moment of my life.

“Paramedics said we should be dead, we inhaled so much of the smoke."

“The firemen said the smoke was combustible as well so the house could have gone up at any moment, we are lucky to be alive.”

The family are waiting to be rehomed by Hyndburn Homes and are currently staying with friends.

Miss Smeeth said: “We won’t ever be going back into the house again, you can’t live in it.

“We are hopefully going to be rehomed soon and we would appreciate anything that can be donated as we are running out of clothes very fast.

“Katie is confused by it all, she keeps asking me when we will be going home, it’s been very difficult for everyone.”

  • If anyone wishes to donate to the family, contact marleygallacher1@gmail.com.