A mum-of-five has told how she 'lost everything' - after a fire caused by her son's computer destroyed their family home.

Single mum Debbie Collingburn, 51, says her son woke up to find his room filled with smoke caused by a fire coming from his desk.

The family, who lives in Wimborne, Dorset, faced' hell' when the blaze could not be controlled and were forced to leave their home in flames.

Debbie believes the fire on the rented four-bedroom house started on her son's desktop computer.

She revealed how the computer hadn't been used for a while, was dusty and it would often "get too hot"."

Debbie, who works in pest control said the family lost all her belongings and are currently living on a two-bedroom apartment.

When the fire was happening she said to be "in disbelief"."

Debbie continued: "I just remembered crouching down and I can see the flames cropping over the top of the house through the windows and then they are smashing and falling out of the framework."

"I'm watching my whole life with more and more flames, the black smoke coming out of the house and I'm almost emotionless because I don't know what to think."

"You don't expect your own house going up in flames. I've rented the house for 15 years. It is horrifying. "

"It is not fair too. I have tried to do the right thing and work hard to support my kids and I just lost everything."

In the house Debbie lived with her three daughters and son for the past 15 years.

She recalls how her son started shouting saying there was a fire in the early hours of the morning on Tuesday, July 29

Debbie explained: "He comes out of his room and I'm walking around the landing and I see him crouching down with his hands in his head saying 'oh my god my room's on fire."

"I thought he had a night terror of some sort so I went over to the door, opened up and looked and the computer that was on his desk was just in flames."

"I put the fire blanket down and noticed that his bed was now on fire because it was next to the computer. "

"I realised it was just too much and at this point it was everybody out."

"The kids all left via the kitchen grabbing the dogs as they went and the cat which was outside."

She revealed how the computer hadn't been used for a while and that it would often get hot.

Debbie said: "His phone broke so he was using the computer to go on social media to speak to his friend's because it was summer holiday. "

"It must have got so much dust in the fan area where it hasn't been used. It was just sat there and it wasn't used. You don't think to clean it out, you don't think it needs dusting."

"The fire brigade they believe that's where it started - the computer."

"There was nothing on on his desk. It was his computer and the keyboard was on the tray below. It was all clear but it just got so hot it was so full of dust that it had no chance of surviving."

The local housing authority put them into an Airbnb first and they are now in a two-bedroom house.

In the house the three daughters are sharing a room, the boy is on his own and the mum is sleeping in the living area.

Despite her current situation, Debbie still can't believe it happened.

She said: "The house has been completely gutted. The roofs have been taken off and there's scaffolding all round it."

"I had to leave and get everybody out to make sure everyone's safe. There's no time to think. "

"I'd love to being able to think 'I need to get this' but it was just grab my phone and get out. "

"I'd had a hip replacement three weeks prior to the fire. I'm still in recovery stage and I'm aware that I have to get down the stairs without dislocating my hip."

Dorset and Wiltshire Fire Service has issued the following advice, external to those working from home or using computers regularly:

Do not leave equipment plugged in to charge overnight

Fully shut down computers when people have finished using them

Do not leave laptops on soft furnishings

Close doors before bed

The fire service also warned: "Leaving devices to charge overnight increases the risk of a fire starting whilst no-one is awake to notice it and take early action."

"If you need to charge laptops and work phones, try to do it during the daytime whilst you work or in the evenings, when you're most likely to be awake and alert to any problems."

Debbie concluded: "As silly as it sounds every so often get the vaccum housed to the back of your computer where the fan is and just hoover out the dust. "

"We all leave stuff on charge, we leave stuff on overnight, the batteries get so hot and we don't really think anything of it."

A GoFundMe page has been created by a friend of Debbie's to help them restarting their life.

It can be found here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/a-family-who-had-lost-everything-in-a-house-fire