A Campden Park family of 13 is now homeless after their modest two-storey wall house was destroyed in an intense fire yesterday.

According to Je-Tonnia Thomas who works at the nearby Play and Learn Pre-school, the fire started at about 9 a.m.{{more}}

She said the children had just finished morning devotions when she observed smoke coming from the building, after which a parent called out and reported that the house was on fire.

The pre-school had to be evacuated and persons present began empty the building of furnishings, appliances and equipment, fearing the fire would spread. The children were taken to the basketball court across the street.

Principal Joan Timm told SEARCHLIGHT that all her wards were accounted for and that she is happy that her building is okay.

“I know for sure that there would be no school today, but I hope that we can be back in our building sometime during the week,” Timm said.

The fire service arrived at the scene at 9:29 a.m., delayed, after getting into an accident with two other vehicles as it was approaching the area of the fire in the industrial section of Campden Park, near to the Bureau of Standards building.

As a result, traffic in the area was at a standstill for about half an hour.

Also arriving on the scene was a group of police officers from the Rapid Response Unit (RRU), who were at the scene of a shooting at nearby Great House. They arrived before the fire tender, so they were able to secure the scene and maintain order.

The burnt house is owned by 43-year-old Dolitha Diamond, who was about 40 yards from her home when it caught fire, but was unable to approach it because of the intense heat.

Diamond is the mother of five and grandmother of three, and had been living at her home for about 15 years.

“I work hard, I struggle, sell bottles, all thing to build me house. Now look, what?” a distraught Dolitha said.

There were 13 persons occupying the premises. Up to press time the cause of the fire was unknown.

The fire department of the Royal St Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force is investigating.(TY)