Heartbreak as Two Wells family ‘lose everything’ in house fire weeks before Christmas

A family remains living in a motel and will not be able to put up their brand new Christmas tree after a fire ravaged their Two Wells home.

There won’t be any Christmas celebrations for the Pearce family this year, after a fire ravaged their house last Friday.

“I was going to have a Christmas lunch at my house,” Ms Pearce said.

“I don’t think we’re going to bother with Christmas this year now.”

The family had also purchased a new Christmas tree a few weeks before the holiday season rang in, which unfortunately will not go up this year.

The heritage-listed house located in Two Wells went up in flames in the early hours of Friday not long after the family woke up to the smoke alarm.

Ms Pearce, 43, knew it was an electrical fire based on the smell, but could only determine it came from up on the roof.

Unfortunately, the fire couldn’t be put out in time and the roof collapsed shortly after, scorching everything they owned.

Kim and Daniel Pearce at their property after the House-fire in Two Wells. Pictured on 7th December 2024. Picture: Ben Clark

While the house was insured by the owners they rented from, the Pearce family did not have contents insurance.

“It’s not something we thought to have. Like who thinks, ‘oh yeah my house is going to burn down with all my belongings’?,” Ms Pearce said.

The family had only just moved into the rental five months ago, before the fire burned close to everything they owned.

“Naturally you’re going to put your trust in the owner of the home you’re living in that everything’s kept up to date.”

Contents insurance is top of the agenda for the Pearce family when they can eventually move out of the Two Wells Motel and into a new place.

“I’ve got to reapply for things. So that’s where it’s making it tricky as well because I’ve got everything burnt in the fire,” she said.

“I don’t even have identification, birth certificate, everything like that. It’s all gone.”

Mrs Pearce detailed the terror she felt when she realised fire has broken out.

“My husband was at work so it was just me, my son, my daughter and her partner at home. We were all asleep and woke up to the smoke alarm,” she said.

“I grabbed the fire extinguisher and tried to put (the fire) out, but it didn’t work. Then the roof collapsed.

“It was terrifying, the smoke was so thick, I could barely breathe (...) all I could think was get the hell out of there.”

Kim and Daniel lost everything in the fire. Picture: Ben Clark

Thankfully, the four of them along with the family’s eight pet dogs, made it out safely.

Mrs Pearce and her husband, Daniel, 43, were married last month and had only been living in the rental with her children for five months.

She was “devastated” to lose precious photos of her children, James, 23, and Amber, 20, growing up along with the ashes of her deceased pets in the fire.

“They’re adults now, so these were the only photos I had when they were little and then there’s the paintings of their footprints when they were babies and my dogs’ ashes,” she said.

“Everything else doesn’t matter, but it’s the stuff you can’t get back that’s devastating.

“I’m glad I got the chance to at least wear my wedding dress.”

The fire completely destroyed the heritage listed home. Picture: CFS/Facebook

The family’s pet dogs made it out safe too. Picture: CFS/Facebook

Mrs Pearce also admits she hasn’t been able to sleep well since the fire, besides passing out from exhaustion.

“It’s just every time I close my eyes I’m seeing the fire,” she said.

“I’d wake up and you can tell when you’ve cried in your sleep. I‘d wake up and have to wipe my eyes like, ‘oh wow, like I must be crying’.”

A GoFundMe has been started by a family friend with the goal of raising $10,000 to help them get back on their feet.

The local community has also rallied around them, setting up donation bins at the Two Wells Bakery and Elizabeth Bowland for people to drop in toiletries, clothes and other items.

With Christmas right around the corner, the family was grateful for any support, no matter how small, Mrs Pearce said.

Fire ravaging the house at Two Wells Picture: 7NEWS

House-fire in Two Wells. Picture: Ben Clark

Kim and Daniel Pearce with Benjamin Frith, 24 at the property. Picture: Ben Clark

“Its overwhelming, we’re really grateful for any help at all,” Mrs Pearce said.

“We’ve had people offer us heaps of clothes, another person offered to set up a storage unit for us to keep stuff until we find a new place to live.”

Since the fire, the family has been staying at the Two Wells Motel which offered them a place to stay after the disaster, while their pets are being cared for by relatives.

On Friday morning, eight CFS crews and two MFS crews responded to the fire which destroyed the house, which is estimated to be more than 100 years old.

An official cause is yet to be determined, however the estimated damage is around $600,000.

You can donate to the family’s GoFundMe page, here. 

Originally published as Heartbreak as Two Wells family ‘lose everything’ in house fire weeks before Christmas