A south London family has been left homeless after a fire completely destroyed their home in New Malden.
On September 20, Nikil Hettiarachchi's home on Muybridge Way, where he lived with his mum, dad, brothers, and cat, was ravaged by a fire caused by an electric bike battery.
The e-bike battery had exploded in their conservatory, melting the room and causing a widespread fire.
The 17-year-old told Your Local Guardian: “I was at a Catholic Mass with my school at Southwark Cathedral.
“After the mass had finished, at around 12pm, me and my friends went to eat somewhere in Elephant and Castle.
“Then I got a message from a friend who lives close by, as he saw the smoke from my house.
“He sent me a picture of the outside of my house and smoke coming out of the windows.”
Nikil had to leave his friends and make his way to New Malden as quickly as possible.
He explained that he had phoned his parents, but they didn’t pick up the phone straight away.
They eventually picked up the phone and told him they were all safe, but couldn’t find their six-month-old kitten.
Nikil added: “In a panic, I got on the wrong train.
“When I got on the right train, I managed to get home quickly, and as I was near my home, my parents called me to tell me that my kitten was safe.
“Once I got home, I was searching for my parents who were clearly distressed.”
After talking to his parents, Nikil took a real look at his home, and he said, “That’s when it really set”.
He said: “It felt surreal.
“I couldn’t believe that the house where I grew up and made most of memories were totally gone.
“We spent the next few hours at the house trying to see what we had left.”
London Fire Brigade responded to the fire at 10am and the fire was under control by 11.52am.
The fire destroyed cassette tapes from Nikil's childhood, sentimental jewellery, a USB with his songs, his second school suit, his Xbox, sketchbooks, and most of his computer equipment.
Nikil was told by his mum that the conservatory had instantly produced smoke, which alerted them to the danger.
Within 10 minutes, the house had reached a point beyond saving.
Currently, the Hettiarachchi family are staying at a hotel temporarily while waiting for another place with more permanency.
Nikil still went back to school the Monday after the fire, saying he felt “there wasn’t a reason to lull around”.
He added: “With this situation, the stress just piles up, and, as a student, my main priority should be studying for my A-Levels.”
Nikil said everybody is dealing with the situation as best as they can and is keeping as positive as possible.
He said: “We are just happy everyone is safe and that we have good people around us supporting us in this difficult time.
“Deep down, it still hurts to see what the place was once I ran to every day after school, my safe zone, the place that brought me the most comfort."
“However, in tough times, I believe that you just have to laugh past the challenges you’re placed in.”
Nikil is set to take exams in the next few months, but he said that the fire has made him feel “out of focus”, especially in lessons.
He has set up a GoFundMe fundraiser to help him and his family.
The aim is to raise £25,000, and, as of September 26, £3,360 has been donated.
Nikil said: “I made the GoFundMe on September 21, a day after the incident, whilst waiting in the car outside of what used to be my home.
“I was asked by a few friends what we were going to do, and, honestly, I don’t think either me or my parents knew.
“I realised I had a duty to my family and to try to help my parents as much as I could instead of just sitting around doing nothing while they sort everything out.
“We managed to raise over £3,000 within three days, which I am truly grateful for and it gives me serious hope for my family after receiving all these different forms of support and genuine love that everyone is showing us.
“The more awareness we have of our situation, the quicker we can get back on our feet and I can make my parents happy.
“I hate to see my parents so distressed as they are now and just wish to see them in the happiness they were in before the incident.
“Thank you to everyone who’s showing us support and spreading awareness, it genuinely does mean a lot.”
People can donate to the family on GoFundMe.
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