‘Devastated’: Mum speaks out after four pets killed in Corio house fire
A mother's frantic 2am dash across Geelong ended in tears of relief after finding her son alive following a devastating Corio house fire that killed four family pets.
A Geelong mother has recalled the “terrifying” 2am phone call she received informing her that her son had narrowly escaped a Corio house fire that killed four family pets.
Sanshya Brookes answered the phone in the early hours of Saturday morning to her mum screaming “they needed to get the animals out” of the burning property, where her son Christopher was sleeping at the time.
The 26-year-old immediately jumped in the car with her best friend and drove to the family home on Kilpatrick Ct in Corio, unsure whether her son was safe.
“I was fast asleep but I always answer my phone if it rings when my son is staying over at mum’s house,” Sanshya said.
“She told me the house was on fire but she didn’t say whether my son was out because she didn’t even realise she had called me.”
Sanshaya recalled “breaking down in tears” when she finally held Christopher in her arms.
“When we arrived there were police, firefighters and paramedics everywhere and I couldn’t see my son,” she added.
“To my relief he was with neighbours who were looking after him and when I finally saw him I just burst out crying and he just told me it was okay.”
Sanshya’s mum, Miakoda Brookes, was treated for minor smoke inhalation following the incident, but was most traumatised by the death of her two Chihuahuas and two Bengal cats.
“My mum is just absolutely destroyed and broken,” Sanshya said.
“She doesn’t care about losing any of the belongings, she just cares about the fact that her grandson’s alive and she is devastated about the animals because they were her absolute life.”
Miakoda’s partner, who also lived at the Corio home, is expected to undergo hand surgery on Monday after attempting to smash through a window to save the beloved pets.
Victoria Police confirmed on Saturday the blaze was not being treated as suspicious, and it’s understood the fire was likely the result of “faulty” electrical wiring, according to Sanshya.
“Authorities are saying it was a faulty power point in the kitchen,” she said.
“My son was asleep in the lounge room which is right next to the kitchen and he woke up to flames all around him.
“When I got to him he was covered in soot and my step mum’s blood and because he’s autistic and ADHD he normally freezes and breaks down in those situations, but he did what he was told and they were just so lucky to make it out alive.”
Miakoda and her partner have been placed in temporary accommodation until they can find somewhere to live permanently.
In the meantime, family and friends have rallied behind the Brookes family, launching a GoFundMe and posting on social media seeking donations to help them rebuild.
Miakoda’s best friend Amanda Williams wrote on GoFundMe she was raising money on behalf of the “very special family”, with a $5000 target initially set.
Sanshya said it would be near impossible to replace the “14 years worth of life” in the Corio home, however any donations would help.
“Mum has lost so many sentimental things including a massive Charlie Bear collection, her engagement ring, and all of her jewellery is gone,” she said.
“My son was basically living between my house and mum’s because I work a lot and he’s also lost everything including his toys, his clothes, his school uniform, his backpack, his shoes, and his iPad which is his entire life.”
Originally published as ‘Devastated’: Mum speaks out after four pets killed in Corio house fire
