Hundreds of pounds were raised for a mum-of-four who lost "everything" in a house fire.
Firefighters rushed to Shellingford Road in Huyton, at around 9am following reports of a serious house fire. James Taylor, the brother of the mum who lives in the house, said "everything" in the house has "gone".
Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service sent five fire engines to the scene and all residents were out of the property when crews arrived, with no reported injuries. People were asked to avoid the area and keep their windows and doors shut.
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James, 27, told the ECHO : "Everything in the house really is gone. There isn't really anything there, no clothes, no toys, no toiletries, just stuff you need for every day living. Appliances, covers, fridges things like that everything has been destroyed."
James said he received a text from his mum who told him about the fire at his sister's home and was "gobsmacked" to see the devastation when he arrived. He said "My mum text me and said try and not panic but there has been a fire, sister's house has gone. I left work and drove to my sister's house and I was gobsmacked to be honest.
"I didn't realise how bad it actually was. All the family are devastated and it's obviously her home and the kids home. It's just heartbreaking for all of us." The 27-year-old said his sister's main priority are her children and is thankful they were unharmed following the fire.
He added: "It has been a bit of a shock process really, no one really knows what is happening. We just know we need to try and help her get back on her feet and just do whatever we can to help benefit them.
"I think she is coming round now and understanding now what has happened. Her priority at the moment is the children and making sure they are OK and just to try and get accommodation as soon as possible."
James and his family have now setup a GoFundMe page to help his sister to "get her back to where she needs to be". The page raised more than £1,200 in the first 24 hours of being online.
A Merseyside Fire and Rescue spokesperson said at the time: "The main seat of fire was extinguished by around 9.30am and crews have continued to check for hot spots, with the fire fully extinguished by around 10.40am.
"Fire crews have carried out Home Fire Safety Checks in neighbouring properties. An investigation is taking place into the cause of the fire." In an update today, a spoke son for the fire service confirmed the cause of the fire was "accidental" and caused by an electric bike on charge.
They said: "Our investigation into the fire has confirmed that the cause of the fire was accidental and was caused by an electric bike on charge in a ground floor room."
To donate to the GoFundMe page, please click here.
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