Cantonnement Fire Reduces Home To Rubble

A family of three is counting their losses after their home at Cantonnement, Vieux Fort was reduced to rubble by fire.

The fire, which is believed to have been caused by a lighted candle, occurred around 12:25 a.m. last Saturday.

By the time the fire engine arrived at the scene, the three-bedroom wooden structure was completely destroyed by the blaze which was fanned by strong winds.

According to Noala Gilbert, she was asleep along with her mother when the fire broke out.

“I was so tired, I fell asleep and forgot to put out the candle which was in the kitchen,” Gilbert recalled, adding that she went to bed about 8:00 p.m., expecting to wake up a bit later.

She said she was awoken by one of her neighbours who came to their rescue.

According to Gilbert, she is now depending on her relatives for assistance, adding that the house which she and her common law husband now live in belongs to a relative.

According to her common law husband, Peter Simmons, who was not at home at the time of the blaze, the incident has left him devastated.

“Everything gone. All my personal documents, such as my passport, are destroyed,” Simmons, a Vincentian, grieved.

Margaret Smith, the neighbour who came to the family’s rescue, said she heard Noala’s mother calling for Noala three times, but Noala did not answer. According to Smith, when she heard her calling for Noala for the fourth time, she realized something was wrong.

“I ran in the house to rescue them,” Smith said.

She said the raging fire destroyed the house so quickly that they had no chance of salvaging anything in it.