BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THEY are still full of smiles and merriment but the reality is that Wendy Challenger of St. Paul’s and her immediate family are left homeless following a house fire that occurred on Tuesday morning (Sept. 25).
The two-room wooden and wall structure sat within a family yard with two other houses at Grove Village, St. Paul’s and sometime after 8:00 a.m., Challenger – who occupied the smallest of the three - received a call indicating that her house was destroyed by fire.
“I was at work at Kajola and after 8:00 I got a call from Natalie Francis from St. Paul’s. When she called me she told me that the house had burnt down. I came home immediately and I found everything burnt down. No one was at any of the homes when the incident occurred.”
She said when she arrived she met fire and police officials at the scene, and what was once her home was nothing more than a gutted, scorched and unliveable space.
Since that day, Challenger, her fiancé Nigel Brown, her daughters Rinita (20) and Trisha (14) as well as her nine-year-old son Iverson have been without that place to which they have grown accustomed; that place at which they sought refuge at the end of a trying day.
In the meantime, Challenger and her three children are residing with her mother who occupies one of the other two homes in the family yard.
As for her fiancé, Challenger said he currently stays with his relatives at Parson Ground.
The 35-year-old woman expressed to this publication that while she is hurt and saddened because her earthly possessions were destroyed, she is thankful to God that the fire resulted in no injuries or loss of life.
“I thank God that our lives were spared. I am appealing to the public to help me in whatever way they can. It would be really appreciated,” Challenger beseeched.
She said the cause of the fire is not yet known and that the authorities did indicate that they would again visit the scene with a view to continuing their investigations.
Anyone desirous of assisting Challenger and her three children can do so by contacting her at 667-9805.
