Woman dies in blaze

A LOPINOT woman died in a fire Friday night, while five children were rescued in yet another fire yesterday. In a third incident, 16 persons were also left homeless as a result of a fire yesterdsay. In the first incident, bedridden Octavia Noel, 60, was burned beyond recognition at her 1/2 mile Mark, Lopinot Road home on Friday night. According to police, around 9 pm a tenant ran out of Noel’s house clutching her three children screaming ‘fire.’ By the time she reached outside the fire that was seen burning downstairs the two-storey house quickly engulfed the entire building. The Fire Services were contacted and when the fire was put out the remains of Noel, who lived with her son and daughter-in-law, was found on the bed where she slept.

Investigators believe she was trying to light something when the fire started. In the second fire, at around 9 am, an unidentified woman had to break down a door and rescue three screaming children locked up in an apartment building at Nine Maloney Gardens, D’Abadie. The woman received several burns to her arm and forehead. In the third fire, at around 3 pm, two residents at Marcus Road Extension, Five River,  Arouca had to break down a door and rescue two children, ages four and five. Twenty other persons were rendered homeless.