A PENSIONER is now homeless after a fire, which started in her bedroom at around 20:00hrs on Wednesday, destroyed her house.

Bhagwantie Peters, who resides at Sabsook Street, Rose Hall Town, said she lit a mosquito coil and walked out of her bedroom in the lower flat of the two-storeyed wooden house to get some water from her neighbour, but by the time she got back, she saw a ball of flame around her bed.

She said that on seeing that, she panicked and ran out of the house, while calling for help.
She said that neighbours and other residents quickly responded and formed a bucket brigade, but were unable to save the house, since the fire spread quickly and engulfed the entire house, and at one point threatened her neighbour Devica Inchanally’s house on the opposite side of the road.

Even a car which was parked at the bottom of Peters’s house did not escape the conflagration.

The neighbourhood bucket brigade, with the aid of some sand and mud, was however, able to save Inchanally’s house, even though the heat had begun to break a few windows, and to scorch the front of the house.

Inshanally said she’d been at home all the time, but when she saw the fire at Peter’s house, she ran out to see what was going on, only to be told a short while later, that her house too, was on fire.

“When the fire start over there, I run out the house,” she said. “I run till in front the road, and then someone come tell me my house catch. When I reach back around, dem boys de done break de gate and door down and was throwing water.”

An investigation has been launched into the origin of both fires.