A mum-of-two is facing homelessness days before Christmas after a devastating blaze destroyed her terraced home.
Toni Shield, 35, had gone to meet her friends at 6.10pm on Wednesday, December 21, when she started to receive a barrage of phone calls from people who lived on her street, Craigside Avenue in West Derby. When she answered the phone to one of her neighbours, she was shocked to hear her house was "up in flames" and rushed back home.
Merseyside Fire and Rescue received a 999 call at 7.48pm from people on the street to say Toni's home, where she lives with her two children aged five and 11, was on fire. Three fire engines arrived five minutes later and firefighters found the ground floor of a property was well alight.
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Toni told The ECHO : "My neighbour told me she heard a bang when the windows blew out. Another person from across the street was trying to put it out with a fire extinguisher but the flames were coming out of the window.
"I had literally just bought the kids presents and they were on the couch ready to be wrapped that night. I had saved up all year and bought thousands of pounds of presents, a TV for their room, iPhones, everything.
"Now my home is gone, I don't have insurance and I'm basically homeless. Not one person in my family will be getting a present off me this year."
Police have now sealed off the street and have told Toni they are unsure if the fire was an electrical fault or arson. An investigation into the fire will be carried out on Thursday.
Toni said: "I can't think of a reason anybody would want to set my house on fire, I'm just a normal girl living a normal life who is trying to be a good mum. With the cost of living crisis I'm really careful with my electric, the only thing I can think of is I might have left the lamp on.
"My daughter was at my mum's house and came running to see what was going on when everybody found out. She was really emotional about it all.
"I think I'm in shock at the moment. I've lived here since I was 21 and don't really have a lot. But now all my furniture has gone, everything has gone."
Toni is staying at her mum's house overnight and is waiting to hear about where she will live in the coming days. Her friends are looking into setting up a GoFundMe page.
A spokesperson from Merseyside Fire and Rescue said: "Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service was called to Craigside Avenue, Liverpool L12, on Wednesday 21st December. Crews were alerted at 7.48pm and on scene at 7.53pm. Three fire engines attended.
"On arrival crews found a fire on the ground floor of a property. Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus entered the property and used high pressure hose reel jets to extinguish the fire. All persons were accounted for.
"Fire crews left the scene at 10.19pm. An investigation into the fire will be carried out in due course."
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