I’ll be homeless for Christmas after vape battery EXPLODED sparking horrific fire which ravaged my home
A MUM has been made homeless for Christmas after a vape battery exploded in her living room, sparking a horrific fire which ruined everything.
Donna King, 45, awoke in the early hours of November 14 to a thick curtain of smoke outside her bedroom door.
Little did she know prior to this night, her 16 years of living in Whitcombe Gardens in Nottingham would come to an abrupt end.
Donna's home suffered "horrific" smoke damage after an e-cigarette battery exploded, setting fire to the living room sofa.
She lost everything and now she's having to live with friends and in hotels.
"It’s devastating, everything that meant something to me is gone now, it’s awful," she told .
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"It’s Christmas so all the presents I bought are gone, my brand new sofa’s gone, all my clothes are gone.
“It’s left so much damage, the roof’s started to come down and everything is smoke damaged. It’s unliveable."
On the night of the fire, Donna heard a beeping sound that she thought had been caused by a burglar.
She said: "I heard a bang and loads of little bangs."
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When she opened her bedroom door to investigate, a curtain of thick smoke stood before her.
She turned to her partner and said: "We're on fire."
Her partner replied: "Are you joking me?"
Donna continued: "I was in shock. I opened the window and started hanging out and screaming.
"The window sill was starting to go black, my partner grabbed the quilt and put it against the door."
Thankfully, firefighters saved the couple by putting a ladder to the window.
Donna's adult son who shared the home was out at the time.
Following a fire investigation, Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service found the cause of the fire to be from the vape battery.
However, they deemed it as "accidental".
Vapes contain lithium-ion batteries that can catch fire if they're damaged or not disposed of properly.
Donna said she had no inkling the vape was faulty, but the shop has since closed down.
She said: "I've spoken to people who told me the type I had was very common".
Donna rented her three-bed home from Nottingham City Council and has since been given £400 a week for accommodation from her insurance company.
She fears the money will soon dry out, like the stream of communication with the council.
Donna explained: “They pass me on to someone and they never get back.
"All I need is an email from them but no one seems to want to give me one. I’m in remission for cancer but this is by far the worst thing that’s ever happened to me.
"I’m not sleeping thinking I will cause a fire. Fire alarms make me really anxious."
A Nottingham City Council spokesperson said: “We have changed the locks on Ms King’s home to keep it secure, and we have completed an asbestos survey.
"We’ve also booked a deep clean to remediate the smoke damage while we await the results of the survey.
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"Once we receive these results, we’ll be able to give Ms King some timescales for when she will be able to move back in.
“Ms King also now has a direct line to a member of our team who can make sure receives the support she needs from everyone involved in getting her and her family back into their home.”