It has become a familiar pattern in the aftermath of many fires: twisted metal and galvanise, piles of ash, scorched walls and surrounding vegetation, along with scattered pieces of smoldering ruins.

They all reveal the tale of the preceding debacle that the town of Chateaubelair, located about 20 miles north west of capital Kingstown, awoke to recently. {{more}}

In this latest tragedy, Bertie Neverson, age given as 79, perished in the flames. His remains, reduced to parched bones, were removed last Sunday morning after the smoke cleared.

Randolph Haywood, a 76-year-old retired man survived the blaze, as did his sister Hildred Murray. And they are thankful to the Almighty for saving their lives.

Their possessions all went up in inferno.

The family lived in an area called Plan on the outskirts of Chateaubelair.

Haywood confirmed that the fire started about three in the morning last Sunday.

“I was inside. I drop asleep. Some people was passing and they called me,” Haywood said.

“They say yo house on fire,” he added. “I loss everything. I even had a couple dollars.”

The ruined structure was a family home, which according to Haywood, has been in the family for “donkey years.”

A board section was erected many years ago, but recent renovations saw the compound expand.

The wooden section was completely razed, taking on the appearance of the skeleton of a smoked out building under construction.

The dead man used to be cared for by workers under the Home Care programme, recently implemented as part of government’s efforts to assist the elderly.

What caused the blaze will never be known, but there have been many speculations as to its origins. But whereas Haywood and Murray lived to tell the tale, Bertie Neverson was not so lucky.

A number of persons have died in house fires here over recent times.

The flames have taken with them several children and elderly folks.