Styrian family

Great help after fire caused a Christmas miracle

Three rooms are completely ruined

(Bild: FW Gratwein)

An apartment fire left a Gratkorn family homeless - but at the same time they were completely overwhelmed: by so much support and love! Even for the three-year-old who had lost his beloved wooden train set, an identical one was found!

This year's Christmas was to be a very special one - it was the first for baby Louis, who was eight months old, and three-year-old Fynn had been talking about nothing else for weeks anyway. And then the catastrophe on December 20: "I was changing Fynn's diaper when we noticed a kind of haze," says Heike Münster. "Because we were getting dizzy, I opened the balcony door." And then there were the first flames, it started to burn from the living room - presumably because of a cable.

Mom and daughter Ashley (17) in the burnt-out house

(Bild: Pail Sepp/Sepp Pail)

 "My daughter and I were able to rescue the two little ones through the window and take the first steps." Like Heike's partner, they both work for the fire department - and even received the alarm for their own house fire on their cell phones!

The two women used this window to rescue the younger children outside

(Bild: Pail Sepp/Sepp Pail)

The damage, estimated at 50,000 euros, is immense. However, the family is not complaining - but it is very important to them: "We would like to thank you from the bottom of our hearts - thanking you is not nearly enough. Because we have received overwhelming support in this exceptional situation."

It all started with her firefighting colleagues, who took lots of photos for the documentation. The insurance agent interrupted his vacation to assess the damage. A relative immediately took the family of five into his home. Heike Münster, a great animal lover and foster home for poor cats, is currently caring for 14 velvet paws and the two family dogs.

As all the clothes were ruined, "we went to 'Kik' to buy just the essentials, which cost a hefty 500 euros for five people. The cashier enquired about our bulk purchase, we described everything - she then donated 100 euros from her own purse and we were given a 20% discount."

Particularly overwhelming: little Fynn, who is unfortunately still traumatized by the fire and is terrified of ever returning to the house, suffered especially from the loss of his wooden train set. Heike Münster: "Someone made an appeal on social media - and a wooden train set was actually found for him!" That makes little tears dry faster.