Arson suspected in South fire

Although the three-bedroom concrete house situated on La Chappelle Street, off Cipero Road, San Fernando was valued at $275,000 it was earmarked for demolition.

However, both police and fire officials believe the fire was deliberately set.

According to police, the owners of the house, Rajendra and Asha Harricharan, of Palmiste, San Fernando, had recently evicted a tenant from the premises. Victoria Ramassar, 75, who lives next door to the destroyed house, said she was awakened around 2.30 am by a crackling noise.

Ramassar, who suffers with her heart, said when she looked out her window, flames had almost entirely engulfed the house next door. The elderly woman said she became afraid that the fire would spread to her home.

She said: “I was so scared that I was going to lose my house before my eyes that I began ripping down my bedroom curtains.” Ramassar said she contacted the Mon Repos Fire Station, while her nephew Jerome and other relatives formed a bucket brigade and began to wet their home in a bid to stop the fire from spreading.

Ramassar said the heat was so intense that several of her glass bedroom windows cracked, and her water tank and guttering were scorched.

According to police, Gemma De Gannes, another neighbour, suffered $2,000 in damage.