Derek said he and his family have moved into a nearby hotel, supported by Wigan Council.
“I went back [to the house] and nothing was salvageable,” he said.
“My daughter only has the slipper-boot shoes that she ran out of the house wearing.
“I said to her we should go for a walk, but she had no shoes.”
Since posting his story to a local community group, Derek said he has received lots of messages of support.
“It’s mega really,” he said. “I’m so glad to have supportive friends, and family as well.
“Stuff like this makes you realise that communities do get together in times of need.
“I’ve never been a person that’s willingly wanted to ask for help, but this has made me see a whole different side of life.
“It’s opened my eyes completely.”
While Derek said he does not know if any part of the house can be saved following the significant fire damage, he is trying to look to the future, saying the experience had made him want to make the most of life.
“There’s so many things going forward that I’m going to do with the family,” he said.
“We’ve never travelled abroad. I’m going to look into getting the family abroad next year somehow.”
“There’s a lot of things that I want to do,” said Derek. “This has made me realise that life’s too short.”