Fire Destroys Three Structures in Hattieville
There was a fire around two-thirty this afternoon in Hattieville. The blaze destroyed three small wooden structures. Fire officials managed to contain the blaze before it spread to nearby homes. AN investigation is ongoing into what caused the fire and we’ll have the official report later this week. Today, villagers on the scene said that they suspect the fire started inside a small snack shop that was situated on the property. A resident says that she was awakened by noises outside and that is when she saw her uncle’s place on fire.
Ardilett Bainton, Resident, Hattieville
“I wake up to the sound of this lamp post the sparks and bust and make a lot of loud noise. When I run outside, I look deh and see the lee shop on fire and the house beside it the ketch and it mi the come towards mi uncle next house. When I run out, I run outside with nothing because I say the only thing I could do is to save my life. After that the house ketch fire and the fire truck come lee while after but they couldn’t save anything; everything burned down.”
Ardilett Bainton
Andrea Polanco
“Now, do you have any idea what may have caused it? I understand a part of the building served as a food shop?”
Ardilett Bainton
“Yes. The young lady had a fast food shop there and I nuh sure what transpired between then because she sells between twelve and one to the lee kids from the school. I nuh know what transpired – maybe she left something on in there. I don’t know. Accidents do happen and we can’t do anything about it. It done happen.”
Andrea Polanco
“So, it was a snack shop and a house here?”
Ardilett Bainton
“It was a little shop; my uncle had a separate little building next to the shop and then my uncle had a two-bedroom building in the yard but everything burned to the ground.”
Andrea Polanco
“Do you know how many persons lived here?”
Ardilett Bainton
“Well, actually, the owner of the shop only does her business here and then she goes home at night. She doesn’t live here. My uncle used to live here but since November he moved out and he is by Cayo side, so nobody neva live in the house but his sons come and check on it every week.”
Andrea Polanco
“So, your uncle had some of his property, belongings here?”
Ardilett Bainton
“Yes. He left all his stuff in there; all his goods were in there because he only took his clothes, he didn’t take much with him. I didn’t know what all was in the house but everything destroyed.”
Andrea Polanco
“So, for persons who are speculating that it may be arson or someone did something bad – you didn’t see anything like that?”
Ardilett Bainton
“No, man. I don’t think anybody would do that, not in the broad daylight in front of the police station like that. Well, you can’t say what wah happen in front of the police station now but nobody would do that. Nobody would just bother my uncle’s place like that.”
Andrea Polanco
“Did you fear that maybe the fire would move over to your property, considering it is so close?”
Ardilett Bainton
“Honestly, I had a big fear because it caught this small structure in front of me and they had to try knock this down in order to not blow on the house. Then the tree behind the house ketch fire, so I did get scared.”
