Woman raising funds for her fire-damaged home

A WOMAN in Mijas Costa is raising funds to repair her fire-damaged home.

It has been a month since the last Mijas fire and the effects of the blaze are still evident in Victoria Llorca’s home.

The widow has lived in Mijas for more than 30 years and hers was the only property affected by the August 1 fire. She has taken to social media to raise funds and repair the damage left by the flames, especially in her kitchen, living room and laundry.

However, things would have been worse if it had not been for the fire-fighters, to whom she is deeply thankful.

“They did not let us back into our homes during the night for safety reasons, but they did not inform me either of the condition my home was in. It was not until the following morning that I realised the flames had scorched half of my house and destroyed half of my life,” she said talking to the local press.

Since that fateful night, Llorca has been sleeping at a relative’s house in Coin and though she has applied for public aid, her case is complicated.

It appears the council does not provide financial aid unless authorities have issued an official declaration of disaster for the area where the property is located and Llorca’s home was not insured either. Fortunately, the Urban Planning Department issued a report saying her home was still safe to use or inhabit.

Llorca has launched a Facebook campaign (https://www.facebook.com/ayudaparavictoria) to raise funds and repair her home.