Two fires in south render 10 homeless

Two families in Fyzabad are blaming electrical problems for fires which destroyed their respective homes, with a total value of approximately $0.25 million, in separate incidents over the last two days.

The destroyed homes belonged to Richard Parahoo, of Delhi Road, and Kamla Seelochan, of St John’s Road, Avocat, leaving a total of ten people homeless. Of the more recent incident, Seelochan, 43, said that a high tension electrical wire leading to her house began sparking around 2.30 pm yesterday. Earlier in the day, a TTEC employee visited the area and took note of the light pole numbers of her house and her neighbours’. “We reported that wire numerous times since last year to TTEC and they keep putting us off, but they haven’t been doing anything”, Seelochan complained as she looked on at the ruins of her two storey concrete and wooden home.

Yesterday, at around 2.30 pm, the sparking worsened and was accompanied by strong winds in the area. Seelochan was at her cousin’s house opposite her own and none of her three children were at home. Her cousin, Chandra Ramjattan recalled: “I tell her look some fire up in the back from the roof but by the time we get up and run across it was blazing already.” Seelochan braved the fire and immediately ran into the house to try to save some possessions. Another neighbour, Chandardath Ramnarine, ran in and pulled her out, and helped salvage a computer and some clothes through a window. Seelochan, who also ran a poultry depot downstairs her home, lost dozens of chickens and ducks to the fire. Her daughter, Kamille, 21, added that nine newborn pompek puppies had also died. Seelochan estimated that she lost over $75,000 in the fire. Neighbours have offered shelter to Seelochan and her children Kamille, Karen, 20, and Kevin, 15, while they get back on their feet.

Meanwhile, in the other incident, EHS paramedic Richard Parahoo said he left his house around 9.30 am Monday and when he returned less than an hour later his house was already up in flames. Parahoo, of Sewlal Trace, said that luckily his wife, Susan, their one-year-old son and his mother, Sylvia, were outside picking mangoes when the fire began at the front of the house. Parahoo himself was confused as to what started the fire. “We have no appliances plugged on in the front. My father and I don’t smoke and we don’t even light a cockset (mosquito coil) in this house.” He said there was the panel box on the front wall of the house. “I have been living here all my life. This was my grandfather’s house. We can’t put a value to what we lost here. No one can pay for it because it was not for sale.” However, police estimated damages at $125,000. Fyzabad police are continuing investigations.