Fire Wrecks Home of Denaby Family

February 1965

South Yorkshire Times February 20th 1965

Fire Wrecks Home of Denaby Family

A Denaby family of four were left homeless last night after fire completely destroyed the downstairs rooms of their house in Doncaster Road.

Mr. Bill Wilkinson (31), a coke oven worker, surveyed the wreckage in the damaged terrace house last night and said: “It’s a write-off now. These houses have been condemned for some time and we shan’t be able to live here again.”

New furniture, carpets and fittings and the weekly wash were destroyed in the blaze, which was spotted by a neighbour. Both Mr. and Mrs. Wilkinson and their two sons, Sean (3) and William (13 months) were out.

Mrs. Wilkinson was visiting hospital for treatment for a foot injury and Mr. Wilkinson returned home from work to find his neighbours, miners Arthur Pearsall, Ken Scott and Gordon Croydon, fighting the blaze.

BUCKET CHAIN
Other neighbours formed a bucket-chain as flames threatened to spread to other houses. “They did a great job keeping the fire under control, but I am afraid that by the time the fire was spotted it had destroyed most of the kitchen and the living room,” said Mr. Wilkinson.

Mr. Pearsall (31), a Cadeby miner, said “We smelled the smoke in our front room. When I went out the windows were blackened and cracking with the heat.”

Last night Mr. Wilkinson’s wife and children were staying with relatives in Mexborough and he stayed with friends in Doncaster Road.

The house doors and windows were boarded up. “We shall have to try and sort things out tomorrow,” he said.