Hero stranger who ran into burning Kildare house to rescue teenager ‘was absolutely amazing’

Their beloved family home engulfed by a fire, was now reduced to ashes. Everything they had worked for, all the memories that had made and collected over the years lost in the fire.

But as the family stood in the driveway of their home watching as the fire brigade battled with the blaze, they looked at each other and realised they hadn’t lost everything. They still had each other.

Today's News in 90 Seconds - March 26th

The latter was something that the family would never take for granted again because if it wasn’t for the actions of a stranger passing by the house at the time of the fire, they could have lost one of their own.

"My parents Carmel and Chris and my two teenage brothers Max (17) and Ricky (19) live in the family home in Lipstown Manor in a village called Narraghmore,” explained Tara Haughton.

My dad ran around the back of the house but at that stage the fire was uncontrollable. It had spread so quickly

"On the day of the fire my mam was out collecting Max from work and my dad was out getting a car fixed. My mam came home first and Max went inside the house and my mam was hoovering the car in the front garden and my dad arrived home. He stayed outside chatting to my mam but she kept getting the smell of burning but she actually thought the smell was coming from the hoover so she unplugged the hoover and cleaned out the filters but they could still both smell burning.

"My dad turned and looked through the front door of our house and he could see flames coming from out the back garden. We have a wooden bar in the back garden and that was on fire.

"My dad ran around the back of the house but at that stage the fire was uncontrollable. It had spread so quickly and already reached the top of the roof of our house and Max’s bedroom was engulfed with fire.”

Tara’s younger brother Max was inside the house and had decided to take a shower after work, not realising the serious danger he was in.

"Poor Max was luckily in the shower and not in his bedroom,” explained a relieved Tara. “Thank God he was in the shower because he could have easily gone into his bedroom to have a nap after work like he would do sometimes.

A passer-by heard the commotion and came over and actually went inside the burning house and he found Max

"Once my parents realised the house was on fire there was a massive panic as no one could find Max. A passer-by heard the commotion and came over and actually went inside the burning house and he found Max in the shower and he got Max out.

"Because Max was in the shower and he had his phone with music playing he couldn't hear the smoke alarm going off. In the end the shower actually knocked off because the electrics went when the house caught fire and that’s when he heard the man screaming for him trying to find him.

"People in these situations say that they left with just the clothes on their backs, but poor Max didn’t even have that, he had a towel wrapped around him.”

The Haughton family are so grateful for the selfless actions of a complete stranger who went inside a burning house to save someone he didn’t even know.

He was absolutely amazing. We didn’t even know him, he just happened to be passing by but he stopped to help us

"This man actually ended up in hospital with smoke inhalation and he had hurt his leg. Because my mam wasn’t sure if Ricky was home or out, this man went around our whole house looking for Ricky and to check no one else was in the house.

"He was absolutely amazing. We didn’t even know him, he just happened to be passing by but he stopped to help us. People are so so good.”

Once the fire started, it took only 20 minutes for the whole house to go up in flames.

If the fire had happened in the middle of the night, those quick 20 minutes could have passed by without the family even noticing their house was on fire

“I’m so grateful it happened during the day and that no one was in bed because the house went up so quickly. It's actually frightening how quick your whole world can be taken away. Everything you have ever worked or lived for is just gone in an instant. It just really shows you what actually matters in life.”

Although the Haughton family still have each other, the memories they spent years collecting have been lost in an instant.

It's actually frightening how quick your whole world can be taken away

"Everyone is ok and that is the main thing but it is still hard to lose everything as there are so many priceless things such as our old school reports or our baby clothes that our parents kept as memories. Those can never be replaced,” sighed Tara.

"My mam is upset about our christening gowns that were lost and even for myself my youngest daughter is only one and all her baby things were still in the house that we were keeping as memories. We lost things like my daughter’s hospital tag from when she was born and other sentimental items like that.

"But look they are all just things, that’s all they are but it still doesn’t make it any easier. My other daughter just made her communion last year and her communion dress was being stored in the house and it was actually her godmother’s dress. For my mam, all of mine and my siblings baby things were lost in the fire. She collected so many memories of us growing up over the years. She can never get those things back.”

The family are still unsure as to what started the fire, but said the gardaí are exploring all lines of enquiry.

In a statement to the Irish Independent, An Garda Síochána said: "Gardaí assisted with emergency services at the scene of a fire at a residence in Narraghmore, Athy, Co. Kildare on Saturday afternoon, March 23, 2024.

“There were no injuries reported. No offences have been disclosed at this time.”

They added that anyone who has video footage, including dash cam between the hours of 11am and 3pm on Saturday to make it available to An Garda Síochána.

A neighbour of the Haughton family, Tom Falvey has set up a GoFundMe page to help raise funds for a family that has lost everything. Already the generosity of the local community has shone through. The page has been active only 48 hours and already over €25,000 has been raised to help get the family back onto their feet.

"Our neighbours, the Haughton's in Lipstown Manor have lost their house to a devastating fire,” explained Tom. “They have lost everything. Please give what you can to assist them in their hour of need and help them get back on their feet.”

Anyone who would like to donate to the GoFundMe campaign can do so by clicking here.

It has been so overwhelming the generosity of complete strangers. We can never thank people enough

The next step for the family is to find somewhere to live until they can knock down the remains of their house and rebuild a new family home.

"At the moment my family are staying with me. They are looking at the moment to find somewhere to live until they can knock the house, as it needs to be completely knocked. There is no saving any of it. The whole structure has to be knocked and rebuilt.

"My brother’s friend’s uncle has kindly offered my family a small cottage that is available until May 1, so they will move in there for a few weeks until the new tenants move in.

"It has been so overwhelming the generosity of complete strangers. We can never thank people enough. It is amazing how people rally around so fast. We are so lucky to live in a community where people will drop everything to help you, we just can’t thank them enough,” concluded an emotional Tara.