Wisroc house fire likely started by children

A fire, believed to have been started by two children who were playing with matches, damaged a Wisroc Housing Scheme house at Linden on Sunday.

The fire started at about 12:45pm at Hyacinth Skeete’s 331 Wisroc home. Skeete, 59, was in the bathroom when she smelled something burning and she called for her daughter, Chevon, who was washing in the yard. “When Chevon come inside, the whole bedroom was on fire and we started screaming fuh ‘fire, fire’ and the whole neighbourhood came out right away,” Skeete recalled.

The damage caused by the fire on Sunday.

Skeete’s two grandchildren, aged four and two, had been playing in the bedroom, while her husband was watching TV. “Apparently the big one get the matches from on one of them vanity or somewhere and light deh fire,” she said.

According to Chevon, the younger child had approached her in the yard and tried telling her about the window curtain but she thought he was saying that his sister had torn it.

Neighbours responded promptly, formed a bucket brigade and put out the fire. However, the entire bedroom was gutted and none of its contents were saved. At the time, Skeete was unable to estimate her losses but said that they were extremely thankful to neighbours whose prompt response averted the worst.