Two houses destroyed in city fire
Dry weather and old wood: it’s a deadly combination that can result in disaster. And that’s just what I experienced this morning on Curl Thompson Street in Port Loyola.
Jacqueline Godwin, Reporting
When News Five arrived on the scene, the fire had already burned one small wooden house and the flames had spread to this two-storey home. As the blaze grew and threatened other buildings, people were frantically calling the authorities for help and grabbing their household possessions.
By the time the first fire truck pulled up, there was nothing the fire fighters could have done to save the second burning building. The flames were now licking at the Cano residence next door.
As area residents watched nervously it appears as if the fire fighters were experiencing problems as there seem to be not enough water supply or pressure.
As the fire fighters feverishly tried to sort out their difficulties the blaze continued to be fuelled by the breeze. Neighbours quickly started filling buckets and wash basins to help extinguish the flames.
Lawrence Arnold, Assisted Neighbours
“People di endanger themselves because fire deh ova head and they deh downstairs di haul out whatever they could haul out and weh you see over there dah all they coulda mi rescue because then the breeze the blow and the fire just start to burn out of control, nobody couldn’t do anything about it. People di get bucket and di try wet this house because then we di try move stuff outta this house yah weh noh burn in order to try and save some of the people’s them valuables.”
Teresita Cano, Neighbour
“I live at this house. I am afraid for my house and I am getting old and my husband cannot walk right. … When I call the fire engine, it too long man it came. It noh come, bout half an hour and it noh come. I call, call and call every minute not only me, all the neighbours, I call and it still no come.”
Adelita Braddick, Area Resident
“More than one hour. We call, call, and call and then this start to catch, it could have been saved, but we noh know what gone on. Thank God the business shop saved ‘round yah because everybody depend pon this lee shop.”
Robert Mariano, Sr., Relative, Fire Victim
“It started from the smaller building. We di try get the fire department, we di try get the fire department, no response.”
Lawrence Arnold
“I called the fire department bout three times and every time I call the fire department, they say, they are on their way, they are on their way and no fire department come. I call Wave Radio and tell them try contact somebody fi get somebody to out to the house because things di explode and fire the rage outta control and then this house start to catch fire.”
Investigations are underway into what may have started the fire that has left at least three families homeless. Martin Rodriquez, who owns the two storey house, says no one was home when he and his wife left for work this morning. The fire not only claimed the home, but all the family’s household items were destroyed.
Martin Rodriguez, Fire victim
“It has been here for a while and I do some changes to it when I moved in.”
Jacqueline Godwin
“Where you guys planning on staying tonight?”
Martin Rodriguez
“Well, I have to stay with family; I have to find somewhere to stay.”
Acting operations manager for the National Fire Service, Brian Fischer, says he understands the people’s concerns, but not only did they respond on time but that they had no problems battling the flames.
Brian Fischer, Ag. Operations Manager, National Fire Service
“Well Jackie, you could see the situation, the type of structure we have yah. An hour and this nevah would di stand up, but actually we receive the call and as we receive the call we respond. The guys come and find the two structure totally engulfed, got into operations and stopped it from spreading.”
Jacqueline Godwin
“What happened to the water, it seems that you guys had a problem with pressure.”
Brian Fischer
“Negative, both trucks arrived with twelve hundred and fifty gallons of water. If you notice, we noh run outta water on the scene.”
“You know, I mean if you are in situations where you have a loss you wah find all kind of—every minute seem like an hour. I respect the people’s opinion, but I know that dah false accusations.”
