A man who moved to the north-east to help his agoraphobic brother says they have been left with nothing after a devastating fire.
Martin Pidgeon bought a property in Mossat, near Alford, to support his brother, Mark, and they moved up together five months ago from Essex.
They were in the process of transforming the former garden centre and café into their dream home, installing a gym, pool table and other comforts that would limit how much Mark, a cancer survivor, would need to go outside.
But last night, a fire broke out in a temporary hut in the garden and quickly spread to their home – leaving it nothing more than a burnt-out shell.
Four crews from Huntly, Alford and Strathdon were called to the house at about 12.50am as the flames took hold.
‘We have nothing left’
Mr Pidgeon and his brother fled in their slippers, grabbing their cat Missy and a single mobile phone.
Their home is a charred mess, with the roof and walls burned down along with all their possessions – including treasures like their mother’s wedding ring.
Mr Pidgeon said that as the winds picked up last night, he had gone outside to secure a temporary hut in the garden in case it blew into the burn.
Shortly afterwards he spotted sparks flying in the gardens, and the situation quickly escalated.
The 56-year-old said: “I first witnessed sparks in the back garden near the temporary huts, and then before I knew it the flames had spread to the eves and then the roof.
“It all happened so quickly, I grabbed my brother and we ran.
“We then called 999.
“It is a million times scarier in real life, hearing glass crack then shatter and the smell is toxic – we called the fire brigade and by the time the flames were out, there was nothing left.
“The wreckage speaks for itself.”
‘We are still alive and that is the main thing’
Neighbours have rallied around the pair, offering them coats and shoes.
Another neighbour, Alastair Campbell, has also offered them temporary shelter in his rental property which has just been vacated.
Mr Pidgeon added: “A lot of the stuff we lost are just things and can be replaced, but all of our family are gone and we lost my mum’s wedding ring. That is something we can’t get back.
“We now have no identification, no clothes, but people who we haven’t even met before today have been so helpful. I’m not sure what we do next.
“But we are still alive and that is the main thing.”
Before they bought the site, Mossatburn was a garden centre and café.
They had been renovating through the winter, and had not yet taken out home insurance.
Mr Pidgeon said: “We could re-build or some people have suggested selling the land but we moved up here to start fresh and give my brother a space of his own.
“I suppose we will just have to wait and see, once you hit rock bottom as we have, we have to believe that things can only get better.
“My brother could write a book, first he survives cancer now he escapes a burning building.”
