Neighbours save house from total destruction

By Stanford Conway
Editor-in-Chief-SKNVibes.com

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – GOODLY neighbours yesterday afternoon saved a man’s home from destruction by forming a bucket brigade and using a large hose to put out a fire that started in one of his two bedrooms.

Trevor Martin of Lower Monkey Hill could not have found enough words to thank his neighbours for their humanitarian gesture. The single parent told SKNVibes that while on his way home from work yesterday at about 4:25 p.m., he was informed by telephone that his house was on fire.

He noted that on arrival, a unit of the Fire and Rescue Services was present at the scene but its members had little work to do because his neighbours had already extinguished the fire that threatened to destroy the entire building.

Martin declared that he could not have estimated the losses he suffered, but noted it may run into thousands. He indicated that in addition to the destruction of a bed, fan and other bedroom items, both his and his son’s clothing were destroyed.

Martin’s sister, who resides in the same yard in which he is housed, told SKNVibes that her nephew and her sons arrived home from school shortly after 4:00 p.m. and she was about to give them a morsel when Martin’s son said, “Come quickly my father’s house is on fire.”    ~~Adz:Right~~

She added that on looking in the direction of the house, she saw smoke was billowing from it and she immediately called the Fire and Rescue Services.

Martin’s sister was also in high praise of the neighbours, whom she said immediately rendered assistance and braved the danger in extinguishing the fire.

She noted that there was a power outage at 6:00 a.m. and “electricity returned at about 12 noon, and it is unlikely that the fire, which was seen shortly after 4:00 p.m., could have been of an electrical nature due to an upsurge”.

A few neighbours, who assisted in putting out the fire, suspected foul play and theorised that since the fire started after 4:00 p.m. in one of the bedrooms where the only electrical appliance (fan) was unplugged, and electricity had returned some four hours earlier, it is highly improbable for the fire to have been of an electrical nature.

When contacted, a member of the Fire and Rescue Services told this media house that they received a call at approximately 16:23 hours of a fire in Lower Monkey Hill. He noted that on arrival, the fire was extinguished except for a few pieces of clothing that were still smoldering.

The fire officer informed that, so far, the cause of the fire was undetermined but investigations are ongoing.

Only last Friday (Oct. 3) fire had struck in Malone Avenue resulting in the death of 15-year-old Isis Liburd, whose burnt body was discovered by firemen. The deceased lived with her mother, father and two older female siblings in the three-bedroom wooden house.