Scots family has Christmas 'ripped away' after fire destroys home and kills cat

A mother has spoken of her family’s heartbreak after a fire ripped through their Edinburgh home, killing their pet cat and destroying all of their Christmas presents two weeks before the big day.

Lauren Wilson, 27, returned from the school run on December 5, to find her home in Muirhouse filled with thick black smoke.

The fire gutted the kitchen and covered the property with toxic smoke.

“Before I opened the door, I could hear a beep, and I thought it was my oven timer; it sounded like a lorry backing up”, she said, speaking of the moment she arrived home.

“When I opened my front door, there was just a wall of jet-black smoke facing me.”

Damage to Lauren Wilson's home in Muirhouse — Damage to Lauren Wilson’s home in Muirhouse Supplied

The mum’s immediate instinct was to protect her six-month-old baby.

“I had to get Alfie away from the door as fast as possible. I ran him back to the lift and dialled 999, then reopened my door and shouted for my dog and cat, but neither of them would come to me.”

Lauren then made attempts to save the animals.

“I even entered the property multiple times, but I couldn’t see through the smoke, and I couldn’t find either my dog or cat.”

Firefighters found dog Bruno “unconscious and foaming at the mouth,” and he was taken to an emergency vet for treatment.

Bruno survived, but was diagnosed with pneumonia and now needs daily pain medication and antibiotics.

However, the family’s cat, Misty, tragically died inside the flat.

Misty tragically died in the fire. Lauren Wilson via Supplied

“All of it has been extremely difficult,” Lauren said. “But seeing all my stuff and all my kids’ things just gone has been pretty terrible. My kids are really struggling with the loss of their cat.”

The family believe the blaze started when the dog jumped onto the kitchen counter and accidentally switched on the hob.

“We think my dog jumped on the counter and turned the hob on, which then set my Cricut on fire, which then set the kitchen on fire,” she said.

Lauren is now living in a Travelodge with three of her children, Lukas, five, Millie, two, and six-month-old Alfie. Her eldest son, Tyler, 11, has had to move in with his uncle because there isn’t enough room for the whole family in the hotel.

The fire has devastated the entire house. Supplied

Edinburgh City Council has provided the temporary accommodation around six miles from their home, but the family say the situation has been “extremely difficult”.

“Not being able to be in the same house as my eldest has been a real struggle too, as he doesn’t fit in our hotel room,” she said.

“I felt really guilty for the kids and just quite distressed as I usually try my best to give them the best Christmas I can, and I felt like it was all ripped away from them.”

Lauren and her children are living temporarily in a Travelodge. Lauren Wilson via Supplied

Lauren’s cousin, Heather Spiers, has set up a GoFundMe to help support the family as they rebuild their lives.

More than £2,000 had already been donated.

Despite the devastation, Lauren is focused on getting her family settled again.

“Making sure my kids are safe and able to settle into our new flat is what matters. My eldest two are autistic, so I know it’s going to be a huge adjustment for them”, she added.