Toy car battery starts Christmas Day house fire in Monmouthshire

A mother whose home was destroyed when a toy car battery caught fire on Christmas Day said she was “not sure what was left.”

Sherianne Wood, 41, and her two sons Evan, 13, and Blake, 6, were forced to flee their flat in Caerwent, Monmouthshire, when the fire started in one of the children’s bedrooms at around 20:30 GMT.

South Wales Fire and Rescue Service said it believed the fire was “caused by the remote-controlled rechargeable lithium battery unit” of the toy car, which was one of children’s Christmas gifts.

Ms Wood said the family was left traumatized and called for greater awareness of the dangers of rechargeable battery units.

He said Christmas Day before the fire was “absolute perfection up to that point.”

As the fire grew larger, Mrs. Wood took action to save her family.

“I grabbed my boys and ran around the apartments screaming for everyone to get out,” she said.

“I had to go in twice to get my dogs. The kids were behind me screaming ‘don’t go in’. It was absolutely terrifying.”

Ms Wood said the family had helped the fire brigade collect their medication from the flat but seeing the damage was traumatic.

“I don’t think much can be salvaged. Nothing can be undone if I’m honest with you,” he said.

“My poor son had such great anxiety that he wanted us to get away, like he was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

“My youngest is completely scared mentally, mentally damaged by this. The kids won’t want to go back.

“You bear the heartbreak of your children.”

The family is currently living in a hotel and waiting for the fire department to determine the full extent of damage to their home.

Since the incident, the crowdfunder set up to support them has received more than £3,500 in donations.

Ms Wood said she was “completely touched by the kindness of friends, family and complete strangers”.

“People are being incredible. I never thought I would receive this much love and care. As a family, we are deeply grateful,” she said.

He added that he wanted to warn other families about the dangers of rechargeable battery units.

“I don’t want anyone to go through what we went through, it’s so sad,” he said.

“It would be great if I could help someone be more careful. People are buying these big batteries and not being warned about how dangerous they are.

“Does someone have to die to pay more attention to safety issues? Awareness needs to be spread.”