“MY whole life is in one of those units” was the heartfelt message from Reece Ellison, one of the victims of the massive blaze at Self Storage Tameside.
It was one of many hugely emotional and personal messages from people whose lives have been devastated by the Denton warehouse fire on Sunday, February 21.
Reece, 28, and his girlfriend moved to Cornwall shortly before lockdown and put their belongings into storage along with sentimental items from his late grandmother’s home which he inherited.
“I am pretty distraught because pretty much everything I own was stored there. It is quite daunting to know that,” explained the chef who estimates the value of things lost at £5,000, though no cost can be put on some sentimental items.
Reece, now living in Newquay, received the news of the blaze from his mother.
He said: “She rang to ask where in Denton my things were stored as one place was in fire.
“I used to live in Denton and am a member of the Denton Memories Facebook group so soon found out it was where my things were stored which came as a shock.”
Reece, who grew up in Cornwall, has since learned his things were stored in a building adjacent to the one destroyed.
He said: “My things are very close and, if not melted by the heat, I am sure they will be water damaged.
“There are bags and bags of clothes, the things you wear for special occasions which I am sure will have been lost.”
Reece, who paid £53 rental each month, added that when lockdown restrictions are eased, he will have to make a journey back to Denton to see if anything can be salvaged.
Holland Street fire Baz Beswick, Tiger Eye Photography
Like many others, Reece is uninsured. He added he was offered insurance but declined because it was “quite expensive”. He also thought he was covered to some degree as the company website has ‘free insurance’ on the sales pitch on its website.
“I received a pretty rubbish email from them. It was unsympathetic and simply stated I needed to contact my insurance,” he said.
Reece, who was originally from Hyde, added he had also been in contact on social media with others who had been affected.
He explained: “I have spoken to some who are in a worse situation than me.
“Some have lost their businesses and lives which is not great news and incredibly sad for them.”
Family friend Chris Hobin set up a gofundme page for mum-of-one Lisa Seaborn, 39, who lost everything as she put clothes, furniture and her son’s toys into storage ahead of moving home. It has already raised almost £4,000.
Lisa, who lives in Denton, had been due to move to her first-owned house with four-year-old son Louie the week before the blaze, but a delay in the chain pushed it back by a fortnight.
As a result, Lisa had to put her belongings into storage while the stayed with mum Anne temporarily. They had only been at Self Storage Tameside since the Wednesday before the blaze which happened on the Sunday.
Chris, who used to live on Holland Street where Self Storage Tameside is based, said: “It was a twist of fate and so cruel as Lisa had only put her belongings into storage four days before the fire.
“She has lost everything including furniture she is still paying for. As she was only storing things for two weeks, she signed an insurance disclaimer.
“Lisa and Anne have been overwhelmed by people’s generosity. They have flooded me with thank you messages but I did very little. It is everyone’s kindness that has powered it.”
Anybody wanting to help care worker Lisa can contribute online.
A spokesman for Self Storage Tameside told The Correspondent on Friday, February 26 that all customers had been contacted and provided with an update.
He explained there were three groups – those who had items stored in the building which was destroyed, those in a building which is water damaged and those unaffected.
Some of the site remains inaccessible and he admitted the priority was getting it safe so customers can gain access.
He said: “One building has been burned to the ground and everything inside is not salvageable.
“It is a safety risk so the priority is to clean it out and isolate other buildings and make them sale and secure so customers can gain access.”
On the question of insurance, he said they have a dedicated team dealing with claims of customers insured with them.
He also cleared up confusion over the ‘free insurance’ advertisement on the company’s website, explaining all customers are given the option to insure with them or make their own arrangements.
If they took out insurance with Self Storage Tameside, he pointed out they received a portion of that free.
He added some people have their possessions covered on home or business insurance and prefer to make their own arrangements.
He said: “It is a difficult time for everyone. We sympathise with them for what will be a tragic occurrence for many.
“It is a very emotional time as people have lost their possessions, probably even more emotional in view of what has happened in the last year because of Covid.”