Nikki Spandley, 41, and her daughters Skye, 10 and Aurora, nine, are waiting to be placed in temporary accommodation following the blaze at their top-floor flat.
The incident happened at The Cheviots just after 1pm on Saturday while Nikki was heading to a friend’s house.
Nikki said: “I went out to go to my friend’s house and my neighbours called me that my fire alarms were going off. I didn’t think anything more of it, as I have cameras. But they were offline so I knew there was a problem.
“When I went up Frederick Road I could smell the smoke and saw it billowing. I went into the building, unlocked the main door and saw the flames and smoke everywhere. I just screamed because I knew I couldn’t get the pet hamsters out. One of them died and we had to bury her. The other one made it.
“I just collapsed outside due to the shock.”
She said the fire was in the kitchen and she had only recently redecorated the flat with new carpets and so on.
Nikki added she is staying at her mother’s house while she and her daughters wait for temporary accommodation.
She said everything in her home suffered from smoke damage, including her clothes and children’s teddies.
Nikki said: “How do you explain to your two children that we have lost our beautiful home? You do not think it can happen to you until it does.”
She said she ‘couldn’t thank the fire service enough’ for ensuring the blaze did not spread to neighbouring properties.
Nikki’s friend, Anna Wood, has set up a Gofundme page to help raise money towards the family.
Well-wishers have so far donated almost £800 as of today (Monday, August 21).
East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service said three fire engines attended the scene to tackle the fire.
An ESFRS spokesperson said: “We were called at 1.11pm to reports of a fire on The Cheviots, Hastings. Three appliances and an officer were sent. They used four breathing apparatus wearers, one hose reel jet, two thermal imaging cameras and one ladder. No casualties were reported.”
The Gofundme page can be found at www.gofundme.com/f/jbfn8-a-family-in-need
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The scene of the fire. Picture: Bogdan Popovici Photo: Contributed
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Nikki Spandley and her daughters Skye and Aurora. Picture: Contributed Photo: Contributed
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The scene of the fire. Picture: Bogdan Popovici Photo: Bogdan Popovici
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The scene of the fire. Picture: Bogdan Popovici Photo: Bogdan Popovici