SUSPICIOUS FIRE RENDERS 24 HOMELESS

A MYSTERIOUS fire burnt flat five Mayaro shacks located on the fringe of a private housing development leaving 24 people homeless on Saturday night. Police and senior firemen investigating the cause of the fire which occurred around 11 pm, had to intervene yesterday morning to stop a backhoe operator acting on behalf of a private housing development company, from excavating the burnt debris from the fire scene. The area housed 24 people — among them seven children and two babies who have been occupying five adjoining shacks as squatters. “It is the first time in my career as a fireman that I have seen burnt debris being removed so quickly, from the scene of a fire,” Assistant Divisional Fire Officer, in charge of fire prevention (South),  Curwin Callender, said.

Callender further said that based on his preliminary investigations, he had no choice but to report the hasty excavation of the burnt rubble, to the Mayaro police. “I had cause to stop the backhoe driver from excavating the fireground,” Callender said. The wooden shacks were located on what Newsday observed were prime spots along the fringe of the private housing development overlooking the sea on the corner of Beaumont Road and Guayaguayare Road, Mayaro. Firemen from Rio Claro Fire Sub-Station responded to the call around 11.29 pm. Angela Bramble, 39, who lived with her three children in one of the seven by seven-metre shacks, said: “The fire started in Paula Rodgriguez’ shack. I saw her running out with three young children — Latifa, Jeremiah and Salim.”

A fire report stated that most of the occupants were asleep at the time. Jeremiah Campbell, 44, who occupied one of the shacks, alerted Abdool Rashid who occupied an adjoining shack, when he saw his neighbour’s shack on fire. Callender said that all the occupants, escaped unhurt. Eight of the male occupants of the shacks passed the night sitting on the side of the road while the women and children, which included two babies, fled to the homes of nearby relatives. Callender said firemen were greeted by the backhoe driver clearing the debris even while the embers were still smoking.

Callender said that based on his interviews with the occupants, he remains puzzled about the cause of the fire. He said, however, that the backhoe driver informed him that he was requested by the residents to clear the site in order to facilitate rebuilding of the shacks. The housing project is being undertaken by Home Construction Limited, a subsidiary of CL Financial Group of Companies. Bramble told Newsday yesterday that officials from the company who were on the site, gave them verbal permission to rebuild their shacks. Works Minister and MP for the Ortoire/Mayaro Franklin Khan has offered the residents assistance in rebuilding their homes.