Friday, April 27 2007

WHEN Robin John, 15, left his Moruga home yesterday to attend school in Princes Town, he never thought he would have been the only one in the house to be left with a school uniform.

John was among 14 persons left homeless when a fire which originated in a front bedroom, completely destroyed the house situated in Basse Terre Village in Moruga.

According to reports, the fire started at about 7 am shortly after the owner of the house Bernadine “Puna” Lopez, 63, and a relative went out. Three adults and seven children between the ages of one year to 15 years, were at home when fire broke out in the front bedroom. The estimated value of the house along with furniture and personal belongings was put at over $1M.

The two-storey house had eight bedrooms. One relative who identified herself only as “Shelly” said she alerted other relatives to the fire after she heard neighbours shouting “fire”.

The 18-year-old mother of one told Newsday,” I took my child and woke up the children in the other bedrooms before rushing downstairs as soon as I heard Alvin (the neighbour).”

Within minutes, the fire spread to the entire house. Attempts by family members and neighbours to put out the fire were futile.

In the end, the family members could only watch helplessly as the fire consumed the entire house.

Fire-fighters from Princes Town Fire Station responded within minutes but despite the firemen’s best efforts, the entire house was destroyed.

Gail Lopez, 32, a mother of five, wept as she watched the ruins of her home. She said her relatives’ Keston Lopez, eight; Atiba Lopez, nine; Gail Aann Teesdale, six; Kenisha Thomas, 11 and Ryan John, 14, lost all their school books and uniforms in the fire.

Robin John, 15, was the only person to save his books and uniforms this because he left home for school before the blaze started.

In the interim, family members said they plan to seek shelter at the homes of other relatives until a new house can be built.

“Man does dead. So is a good thing no one died in the fire. The house burnt down but it can be rebuilt,” Bernadine Lopez said as she gazed at the ruins. Exactly what caused the fire is now the subject of an investigation by both the police and fire department.