A family from Cork has made a desperate appeal after a devastating fire gutted their home and claimed the lives of their two family pets and a litter of newborn puppies.
Kal Power said he and his family had "lost everything" in the blaze which happened on Saturday night.
The fire is believed to have started when some coal fell out of a grate in a fireplace in the front room, CorkBeo reports.
Nearly all the family's possessions have been claimed by the fire which broke out at around 9.30pm at their council house on the Westbury Estate in Wilton on the southside of the city.
The fire tragically took their terriers Kobe and Kyra and a litter of five puppies that had just been born.
With the dogs in an upstairs room and despite the heroic efforts from Kal's brother Aaron to get them out, the blaze spread too quickly.
Aaron was in the house with his girlfriend at the time and both of them tried to get to the dogs in the upstairs room.
Kal said: "My mother was out doing some food shopping and she was on her way home, Aaron was there with his girlfriend, they saw the smoke and they tried to get to the dogs, they got the door open, but Kobe and Kyra wouldn't leave the puppies, they couldn't get them out fast enough.
"Thank God my brother and his girlfriend got out, but we're all very upset about the dogs.
"We lost pretty much everything, there was no time, but we couldn't save the dogs."
Cork City Fire Brigade responded quickly to the blaze and prevented further damage to adjoining houses.
Kal and his brother had only recently returned from working abroad meaning they were sharing the home with their mother Lisa and sisters Sophie and Aloishe, as well as their much loved dogs.
The family have now set up a GoFundMe page to try and fund replacing clothes, school uniforms, schoolbooks and other essentials.
Kal said: "I'm staying with friends, my sisters are with my grandmother and my mother is in a hotel, we're lucky because some very kind people are paying for a few nights for her there.
"But we just want to get everybody back into a home, it's a very difficult time for us."
The family also lost "irreplaceable" mementos of their dad, who sadly passed away in 2018.
Cork City Council are working to find the family emergency alternative accommodation.
But they have been left with little more than the clothes they were wearing at the time of the fire.
The family are hoping the local community can help them out with the basics as they try to rebuild their lives and find a new home.
Kal said: "My mother has a tumour in her knee but she's working at a hairdressers to make sure she can look after the family/
"She's always worked to support us and this is very difficult for her."
You can support the Power family by clicking on their GoFundMe page which has already raised nearly €4,000 already.
