Currently rehoused with brothers, the family is looking for a new roof while they repair their home. A fund has been opened to help him get through this ordeal.
Laëtitia and Christophe Morel still remember this wintery Monday afternoon. On December 16, they returned home to Derval (Loire-Atlantique) around 3:20 p.m., finding a house ravaged by flames. At 1:40 p.m. that day, several of their children were still there before leaving for college. “Fortunately, there was no one left inside”says the mother with relief. “We are happy to be all safe and sound”adds her husband. Because the probability was relatively low.
A blended family, the Morels are at the head of a tribe of nine children, aged 4 to 18, some of them more or less the same age. The parents, each of whom lost their ex-spouse, lived in this eight-bedroom house, located about fifty kilometers north of Nantes, according to the fluctuating schedules of their high school, middle school and other kindergarten students.
Morel family
Unusable house
On the day of the fire, seven firefighters intervened at 3:55 p.m. to help them. “The fire was out when they arrived. They carried out a reconnaissance and a reading with a thermal camera to ensure that everything was turned off.indicates the Loire-Atlantique departmental fire and rescue service (SDIS). The family still had to be relocated, the house being completely unusable.
“The fire broke out in the main room”tells the Figaro Laëtitia Morel, after having confided in the columns of The Scout of Châteaubriant . A piece of clothing placed on a chair caught fire after being hit by radiation from the pellet stove. Still, the flames spread over the table, then the chairs… “The windows of the facade are cracked, the roller shutters split… The ceiling has fallen and the smoke has spread everywhere”describes the couple who have owned it for nine years, reached by telephone on Friday, a few minutes before they returned to the site to continue their cleaning work. Major work will be necessary to restore everything. Structurally, the roof and walls are still there.
Stayed with religious people
In the meantime, they are housed in the former Saint-Donatien college in the town, in conjunction with the Brothers of Ploërmel, whom they would like to warmly thank. Their insurance covers their rehousing, provided that it does not exceed a certain amount. Currently looking for a house while waiting to get theirs, they don't yet have answers to all their questions. “The question mark is how are we going to be compensated?”worries Christophe Morel, the father of the family, citing the example of a chair bought for 49 euros, now sold for twenty euros more…
In this context, they are launching an appeal for donations to help them. For example, they are looking for beds, mattresses… They can already count on the solidarity around them. The parents' association of the local public school has launched a fundraiser to help them. The last of the family also consulted the school psychologist. “They had their room on the ground floor. Everything had to be thrown away. They find themselves with nothing”testifies their mother, who is coming out of a trying year. In 2023, Laëtitia Morel was affected by cancer. Her husband then stopped working to take care of her and the whole family. Today, she is in remission.
Morel family
