Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - Hier 14:28

Early-morning Petit Valley fire traumatises nearby children

A Majuba Crossroads house in Petit Valley, Diego Martin, was reduced to ashes in the early hours of February 2 as a fire engulfed the property, putting nearby residences at risk. The blaze, which reportedly started at the back of the vacant property, spread rapidly before fire officials could arrive to contain it. A family in the adjoining home was awakened by the commotion and immediately began moving their belongings away from the blaze. One of the residents, who wished to remain anonymous, said, "We’re fine, but there are children in the house who are traumatised.” The family was concerned about the structural integrity of their own home, fearing the second storey of the burning building would collapse onto it. Speaking about his family, the resident said, “They didn’t know what could have happened, so they were moving stuff out of the house.” [caption id="attachment_1136633" align="alignnone" width="1024"] A fire at the corner of Majuba Crossroad and Palm Avenue burned in the early hours on February 2. - Photo by Sydney Joseph[/caption] Witnesses described the sounds of popping and crashing as walls collapsed while the flames consumed the structure. A neighbour, whose property shared a wall with the burning house, initially mistook the sounds for the noise of a family member moving around. "At first, I thought it was my son banging around in my house." Emergency calls were made around 3.40 am, with the first firetrucks arriving approximately ten minutes later. Despite firefighters' efforts, the structure – a home, reportedly owned by a doctor, which had been vacant for months – was destroyed. Residents voiced frustration over what they perceived as a slow response from the fire service, saying, "It’s only one small fire station in Four Roads that has to service the whole of Diego Martin and Petit Valley," The lot, which had been overgrown for some time, was cleared just two days earlier, on January 31. While Newsday was at the scene, a total of five fire tenders were dispatched, bringing water to the site between 3.50 am and 5 am. Eventually, firefighters tapped into a hydrant on a nearby street to secure additional water, with a senior fire officer on the scene describing the hydrant pressure as "medium." [caption id="attachment_1136635" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Fire officers prepare to run additional hoses through the yards of neighbouring houses to attack the early-morning blaze from all angles. - Photo by Sydney Joseph[/caption]   The post Early-morning Petit Valley fire traumatises nearby children appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.