Hythe family to spend Christmas in temporary accommodation after fire destroys home

Hythe House fire
The house was totally destroyed by the fire Credit: ITV News Meridian

  • Full report from ITV News Meridian's Tony Green

A father and daughter from Hythe are to spend Christmas in temporary accommodation after a fire ripped through their home, the pair lucky to escape with their lives.

They had to jump from a first floor balcony after they were not alarmed to the presence of the fire by the house's fire alarms.

Daughter Brontë Sercomb said "I opened the door to complete darkness, black smoke and then obviously my dad grabbed me and that's the only reason that I knew he was there".

David Sercomb, Brontë's father, wanted to share their story to raise awareness of the importance of fire alarms saying "Smoke is the big killer. Smoke is the problem and simple smoke detectors whether they are wired to the mains or they are battery operated are a massive life saver ".

The fire-damaged interior of the house Credit: ITV News Meridian

The family are urging people to think about what they'd do in a fire situation. Brontë said "I think it would be a good idea for people to think about what they'd do if they were on the first floor. How would you get out? Which way would you get out?".

They're hoping that others can learn from their lessons and, in turn, keep themselves and their families safe.