Once, the Dale family made an appearance on Grand Designs with their magnificent home, earning them praise for their ecological design.

The couple designed a stunning Pembrokeshire eco-house, but the idea did not come to fruition.

Ultimately, a house fire completely destroyed their new home.

Simon and Jasmine Dale built the house, which was dubbed one of the ‘cheapest’ homes since it cost only £27,000 to construct.

The pair only used repurposed materials, such as straw, lumber, and even glass.

Sheep wool served as its insulation because it was so environmentally sensitive.
The pair began the project in Pembrokeshire with only £500. It took six years to create everything, but a house fire tragically cut short their dream.

The home caught fire owing to the electricity, leaving it in ruins.

The incident began when a malfunctioning electric heater caught fire while Jasmine was at home. Fortunately, the rest of the family and their two children were visiting relatives and did not have to endure the trauma.

In a stunning twist, this was the family’s second house fire, following the destruction of their previous home.

“We’re still in full shock, and I can’t express how I feel. But we understand the emotion; our first house burned down, so we’ve been here before, I think,” Jasmine told The Telegraph at the time.

“We hope this is a gift in disguise, and we’ve received a lot of love, but we know we won’t be able to replicate this house.”

An unusual electrical malfunction triggered the fire. I was in the house only a few seconds before the fire started, and there is a junction box downstairs with several electrical lines.

According to Dai Swan, group manager for Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, the home’s straw material made it even harder to put out the flames.

“It’s utterly heartbreaking for the crews seeing how much workmanship has gone into these frames,” added the captain.

“Each piece of this building is bespoke; it’s done to a beautifully high standard, and to see it damaged by fire is just heartbreaking.”

The pair has stated that they will always miss the property and the ‘lovely’ local residents.

Simon expressed that they ‘lacked the resources’ to rebuild it.

He spoke to WalesOnline: “We decided we didn’t have it in us to rebuild that house in a way that would fit our children, now 14 and 15.”

In 2019, the Dales listed the site for sale for £290,000. The deal includes fresh planning permission for a four-bedroom eco-home.