The mother of a five-year-old girl who died in a house fire has said she is in “constant pain every single day”.
Alysia Salisbury died after a fire consumed the family home in Pontyglasier, Pembrokeshire, on 27 May.
Tara Salisbury told Sky News that her daughter was “the kindest, sweetest little girl”.
“She didn’t have a mean bone in her entire body and she adored all animals and nature,” she said.
Please be aware the interview below contains some upsetting details.
Today marks three weeks since the fire and would have been Alysia’s sixth birthday.
The fire is believed to have started in the bedroom of one of Alysia’s sisters where she had been for a “sister’s sleep-over”.
Pic: Family photo
Abi, one of Alysia’s sisters, tucked her in bed with the TV on before she went downstairs to warm some brioche for her in the oven.
‘She hated loud noises’
The fire alarm went off but, according to Ms Salisbury, this was not unusual due to its high sensitivity.
Alysia, known affectionately as Lysi, had autism and Ms Salisbury said she was highly sensitive to sound, particularly the fire alarm.
“She hated loud noises. The alarm was constantly going off because my daughters are very kind and they would always make Alysia warmed-up brioche in the oven and it was such a sensitive alarm it would go off if you so much as turned the toaster on,” she said.
“So when the alarm goes off, she gets really upset. She screeches and screams and I have to smash the alarm to make it stop as quickly as possible.”
Dyfed-Powys Police are continuing to investigate the cause of the fire.
The inquest into Alysia’s death was opened on 9 June and has been adjourned until 12 October.
Alysia (centre) with her sisters Jessica (left) and Abigail (right). Pic: Family photo
“It took [firefighters] hours and hours even just to find Lysi because the flames were so hot that they just couldn’t get anywhere near the building,” Ms Salisbury said.
Ms Salisbury said the “worst feeling” was when she could hear Alysia trapped in her sister’s room.
‘I screamed her name’
“I ran up the stairs and I yelled at everyone we need to get out now, the room’s on fire and I yelled into the flames and I couldn’t see anything,” she said.
“The whole room was just completely and totally on fire. There was no single inch that I couldn’t see already on fire and I screamed her name and I could hear her call back ‘Mummy’.
“She was in there somewhere I just couldn’t see her and I couldn’t get to her. I tried so hard to get in there to her but I couldn’t.
“There was just so much fire, it was hotter than I’ve ever imagined anything ever being.”
Alysia Salisbury loved the outdoors. Pic: Family photo
Ms Salisbury said Alysia “wouldn’t have had any fear” due to her autism.
“She was nearly six but because of the way that she was, when the fire started she would have just sat happily transfixed by it,” she said.
“She wouldn’t have made any noise, she wouldn’t have alerted anyone, she wouldn’t have run.
“She would have just sat happily watching it as it grew.”
Pic: Family photo
Ms Salisbury said Alysia’s sisters, 11-year-old Abigail and 15-year-old Jessica, “don’t know what to do with themselves” after her death.
Following the tragedy, the community has shown “fantastic” support to Ms Salisbury and her family.
Nearly £20,000 has been raised through an online fundraiser to help them rebuild their lives.
‘The fire took everything’
“I mean there’s nothing at all that will ever bring her back but the response that we’ve had from everyone will help us rebuild our lives again. And it’s more than we could have ever asked,” she added.
“The majority of it is going to be for helping us rebuild because we have absolutely nothing left.
“The fire took everything from us in one single night whether it be my daughter or our home or all of our personal possessions, it all went in one go.”
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There weren’t “any words” to describe the loss of Alysia, Ms Salisbury said.
“She had a smile that even people who didn’t really know her very well, her smile lit them up.
“She was happy and kind and innocent and that’s the one thing that we’ll remember more than anything else is the smile.”
