Derby doctor left with nothing after devastating fire at Derbyshire flats
He's 'numb and broken'
Noah Martin
A Derby doctor who was a victim of the Sandiacre flats fire said he and his partner have been left "numb and broken" by the devastating event.
Tom Crabtree is a diabetes specialist at Royal Derby Hospital and had taken a break from his PhD research to help on the Covid-19 frontline.
The fire, which ripped through several floors of the Springfield Mill apartments in Sandiacre, has displaced more than 100 residents - Dr Crabtree included.
On the day of the blaze, the key worker said he was "taking a catnap" ahead of a night shift on the coronavirus ward when he heard a "commotion" outside.
When he looked out the window in his apartment, he saw people "waving and screaming to get out the building".
He said: "To be honest, it's funny because my initial reaction when I saw people outside was 'why aren't people social distancing?', but then I realised what was happening.
Huge blaze tears through Derbyshire apartment building
Shellshocked residents put up in hotel after fire rips through homes
"I ran out with the clothes on my back, I didn't think to grab anything and went out in my slippers, I didn't even have shoes on. I've had to go to Tesco and buy some trainers."
When he got outside, Dr Crabtree said the roof of the South block of flats - where he lives - was ablaze with smoke billowing into the sky.
In shock, Dr Crabtree said he "ended up wandering down the canal" for while because he "didn't know what else to do".
He added: "I didn't know what to think, you just assume that it's not going to be that bad, even when we got outside the building we were all being optimistic."
While several fire services from across the East Midlands tackled the blaze, residents gathered in a nearby car park and were eventually taken to a hotel.
According to the 29-year-old, it was the flats in the two floors directly above his own property which were most badly affected by the blaze.
Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service have since confirmed the cause of the blaze as accidental but the true extent of the damage is not yet clear.
However, Dr Crabtree and his partner, who are currently staying with friends in Beeston, say they are working on the assumption that they have "lost everything.
Springfield Mill in Sandiacre has been badly damaged by fire (Image: Derbyshire Live)
He added: "We have had initial chats with the fire service and that area of the building is not structurally safe, it might never be again.
"Even if things are salvageable the flat might not be recoverable, I don't know what would survive the amount of water they put through that building."
There's never a good time for your home to burn down, but Dr Crabtree said lockdown is particularly difficult because shops are not open to replace essential items.
He added: "We are feeling numb and broken, everyone who was involved has become a bit manic, alternating between hysterical crying and laughter.
"It's the ridiculous things like we are stuck at home trying to process what's happened, but we don't have anything distract ourselves, no technology.
"And it's the little things like how are we going to get new furniture or clothes? It's so much to try and get in your head, it's overwhelming."
A fundraising page has been set up to help Dr Crabtree and his partner to build their lives back up which has already raised £4,000. This is one of several pages set up for the residents left homeless by the fire.
The doctor said he "can't thank Derby hospital enough" for the support they have shown and the offers of help.
He added: "They have said I can have some time off to sort everything out, but I am hoping I won't be off work more than a week.
"It's a difficult time for the NHS, we are all doing the best we can."
He said he wanted to highlight that many other people aside from himself have been affected by the blaze and anyone with offers of help should email springfieldmillhelp@gmail.com
Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service
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