10 homeless after Preysal Xmas fire

POLICE are investigating a fire which left ten people homeless and two houses destroyed at Polo Grounds, Preysal on Christmas morning.

The fire was allegedly set by a relative after several arguments between family members about how the yard was being kept.

In a WhatsApp response to questions from Newsday, acting Supt Ross Glodon, Area South Central Division, said an active investigation into a report of a house destroyed by fire was taking place.

“The fire occurred around 11.40 pm on December 24 at #34 Polo Ground Road, Preysal, Couva. This is being investigated by officers attached to the Couva CID. Whatever information received or unearthed as a result of these enquiries will be thoroughly investigated.”

Allison Corbin said she was still up preparing for Christmas when she started smelling smoke around 11.30 pm.

“When I walked to the front of the house I saw smoke coming through my door and when I opened the door and went outside, where my brother does keep as his bedroom, I saw fire coming from there. I ran back in the house and told my husband the house on fire, and my grandbaby was on the bed sleeping, I grabbed the baby and ran outside.

“I went to the back to alarm everybody because nobody didn’t know, it was to the front of the house.

“We told everyone to get out because the house on fire and then I came out. In that space of time, everything went up in flame.

“My mother is in a wheelchair so my brother had to pick her up and carry her out. It wasn’t nice.”

Reports are there were three other relatives in an adjoining wooden house at the back, a brother living in a second house, and her mother Celia Mitchell and step-father in a third.

Acting Divisional Fire Officer public relations Daron Dasent said a tender was sent when a report was received.

“When they arrived, the annex was involved. It was fully involved on arrival. The annex of the main structure was on fire and that’s what they dealt with. The main structure got damaged by fire and smoke on the external part and the roof area. All people were accounted for, so there were no casualties, everyone was accounted for on the arrival of the fire service.”

He said he could not comment on reports that the fire tender took 30 minutes to arrive.

Corbin said the family was assessing the damages. She said they had split up and were living with different people in Preysal, except for one brother who had gone to Princes Town.

She said to her knowledge, the person who set the fire had not been arrested. She said she last heard he was in the hospital after allegedly being beaten by residents.

Corbin said the fire service had visited and given them the all-clear to clean up the site.

“We have cleared up most of the debris and stuff. My house was partially damaged, part of the living room, the bedrooms and the kitchen were burned.

“Social services was here yesterday and took the information on who had lost what.

“The only thing we would be able to get now as early as possible would be food cards, other than that everything would take time to replace whatever we have lost in the fire.”

 

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