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Charmaine, Bobby and Breeze Blythe, of Dover, flee fire at Pontins camp in Camber Sands

A woman and her children had a nightmare on holiday when their cooker burst into flames.

Charmaine Blythe was baking garlic bread when the oven caught fire.

She and her 10-year-old twins fled from the chalet terrified and now Miss Blythe is making a complaint to the holiday company, Pontins.

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Charmaine Blythe with her children Bobby and Breeze
Charmaine Blythe with her children Bobby and Breeze

The 45-year-old of Vancouver Road, Dover, said: “My children and I were in danger. This holiday became a nightmare.”

The fire started at about 7.30pm on Monday, August 21, at the family’s chalet at the Pontins Camber Sands Holiday Park, East Sussex.

It was on the first day of a five-day holiday for Miss Blythe and her son and daughter Bobby and Breeze.

She had garlic bread cooking in the oven on a low setting and popped outside to speak to a neighbour.

She went back inside and explained: “I opened the oven door to check that it was heating up and there were flames and the whole oven was on fire.

“My children were in the living room and they were scared, they were screaming. I turned the oven off.

“I said to the children ‘get out’. When we were outside I shouted ‘Please help me, there’s a fire’.

“All the neighbours came out. The firefighters came in a couple of minutes.”

The blaze turned out to be short-lived was already out by the time the firefighters arrived.

Miss Blythe added; “When I was outside I saw there was pitch black smoke in the room. I had only cooked for four to five minutes.”

The family were moved to another chalet on the camp that night and the electric cooker was removed.

Miss Blythe and her children escaped from the chalet unhurt but she says her belongings were also damaged by the smoke.

General scene of Camber Sands, a popular holiday location
General scene of Camber Sands, a popular holiday location

Despite the ordeal the family stayed on at the camp for the rest of their holiday.

Miss Blythe said: “I didn’t want to be there at all any more but I stuck it out for the children. If I was on my own I would have gone home that minute but it was the children’s holiday.”

Pontins said it would not discuss Miss Blythe’s case with the press.

A spokesman told our reporter: “Due to data protection reasons we are unable to discuss and details surrounding Ms Blythe’s complaint.

“I can confirm that we have received correspondence from Ms Blythe directly and we will reply directly back to her with a response.”

A spokesman for East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service said: “We were called to reports of a fire at premises in New Lydd Road in Camber.

“On arrival crews found there had been a small fire which was out on arrival. No firefighting action was needed.”

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