Fire Guts Carmelita House; What Caused It?
Fires have been sparking all over; the latest blaze was in Carmelita, Orange Walk where a concrete spilt level house went up in flames. The fire erupted at about eleven o’clock on Saturday night and destroyed the building. Its owner, Carole Gillette is in the United Sates so it was left in the care of Eustace Flowers. Flowers was asleep when the fire started; he suspects it may have been caused by an electrical fault. News Five’s Duane Moody reports.
Duane Moody, Reporting
Police and National Fire Service personnel continue to investigate a most recent fire, this time in the village of Carmelita on the Phillip Goldson Highway, just outside of Orange Walk Town. Sometime after eleven p.m. on Friday night, firefighters were called out to the scene of a fire across from the football field and adjacent to the primary school. They arrived to find a split level concrete house engulfed in flames.
Eustace Flowers
Eustace Flowers, Caretaker
“When I come out, I mi deh ina lone boxers; I ended up gone back inside and put on my rest of clothes and I come out because I hear some people and Mister David over there and other people. And we come out and watch the fire. But weh happen, they couldn’t out the fire because the fire started from inside the house.”
Duane Moody
“So the neighbors helped with water to try and out the fire?”
Eustace Flowers
“After a lee while yes, but they couldn’t out it because the fire was big; the fire spread fast, real fast.”
The house is owned by Carol Gillette, who is presently in the U.S. Eustace Flowers was the caretaker who was inside his room to the back of the yard when the fire started. While some residents say that the fire may have been a case of arson, Flowers says that it may also be electrical.
Eustace Flowers
“I just see like I mi deh ina my room to the back and I see like blackout come ina di lee room to the back and then when I come out, I see like fire pan di house; the fire di come through the window and it look like it start from inside the house. From the inside of the house; this lower one right yah and it come out through the window.”
Duane Moody
“Nobody lived inside the house?”
Eustace Flowers
“Nobody neva live inside the house. The lady that used to live, she went to the states for six months, but I don’t know if she will be coming back.”
Duane Moody
“So you are the caretaker here?”
Eustace Flowers
“Yes, I am the watchman for this house.”
Duane Moody
“How long have you been taking care of the place?”
Eustace Flowers
“About three-four weeks, almost a month; about one month. “
Duane Moody
“So there is no reason to suspect that it’s arson; that somebody lit the place on fire?”
Eustace Flowers
“I don’t know. Miss Sharon mi di tell me that they see somebody through something through the window, but I noh know because the window mi lock up. So I noh know if anybody could through anything through it because the window mi lock up.”
While the investigations continue into the cause of the fire, Flowers says that to his knowledge, the house and its contents were not insured and everything was lost in the blaze.
Eustace Flowers
“Refridge, everything sofa, everything burn up.”
Duane Moody
“What would you say is the estimated lost?”
Eustace Flowers
“She lost everything.”
Duane Moody
“The upper flat that’s there, was that burnt too inside?”
Eustace Flowers
“No just the window. This window right yah soh; it mi have like cement. And ih look like they kick open the door to get inside because when they open the door inside mi black, black with lone smoke.”
Duane Moody for News Five.
