Mum and baby lose everything after flat fire in Bettws

Kiera McCarthy, 19, and her 17-month-old daughter Marliya, had only recently moved into their own flat in Bettws, when it went up in flames on Friday.

According to both Kiera and her mother, Nicola O’Hagan, the fire alarms in the flat failed to go off when the blaze began. Keira is now devastated after losing everything in the flat she had just refurbished.

The fire raged through the flat, destroying everything (Image: Kiera McCarthy) According to Kiera, she had put Marliya down for her late morning nap and went into her room to rest as she always does during her daughter’s naptime.

Shortly afterwards, just before noon on Friday, Kiera was pulled out of her room by her daughter, who she says must have gone into their living room to play, only to find the entire flat covered in smoke as a fire raged.

She said: “The fire looked really big and smoky, it must have been going on for a good five minutes before we were able to get out."

The kitchen has been completely destroyed (Image: Kiera McCarthy) She continued: “I was lucky to be able to get us both out, as we’d usually be napping with the door closed and wouldn’t have been able to escape as we would have had to go through the kitchen, which was completely covered in smoke.”

Kiera’s mum Nicola, who lives in Cwmbran, got a call at work at noon to say the flat had burnt down and that her daughter and granddaughter were “lucky to be alive”.

Mum Keira said at this early stage, the fire is thought to have been caused by an accident with the kitchen oven.

Keira recalls: "My baby’s bottle sterilizer was on top of the oven and she must of knocked the dial for the hob on with her foot whilst I was making her breakfast, as she was on my hip."

Kiera and Marliya are 'lucky to be alive' according to Kiera's mother Nicola (Image: Kiera McCarthy) Nicola added: “They’ve now lost everything. They’d only just found that flat and recently refurbished it so it was all really lovely, overlooking a field and everything.

“Now Kiera’s really struggling because she’s lost everything – all her belongings, all Marliya’s toys, everything. The only things they managed to get out were what they had on and a carry cot that was still in its box.

“I dread to think what would’ve happened if they’ve gone for naps half an hour later.”

The fire was 'really big and smoky' but the alarms and sprinklers failed to go off (Image: Kiera McCarthy) Kiera and her daughter are now staying with her mother in a small bedroom while they wait for temporary accommodation from the council, who are currently in the process of attempting to repair the flat.

One area that is being considered for temporary accommodation is Maindee, however, Kiera associates the area “with bad memories” and says the prospect of returning there is “giving me really bad anxiety”.

Kiera has worked so hard 'to build a life' for her and Marliya (Image: Kiera McCarthy) Kiera added: “I’ve worked so hard to build a life for my little girl, and this just feels like we’ve gone ten steps backward.

“I’ve been through so much to get where I am today, and it’s all been taken away in one moment.

“I just don’t know where to go from here.”

SWFRS spokesperson said: "We received a call at approximately 11.40 am on 7th June to reports of a kitchen fire in a top floor flat in the Bettws area of Newport.

"Appliances and crews from Malpas and Cwmbran stations attended the incident. The stop message was given at 12.14 pm."

The family have set up a GoFundMe page to help Kiera get back on her feet, which you can donate to here.