Fire leaves families homeless

A raging inferno destroyed two residences at Long Wall last Tuesday. However, another ‘fire’ seems to be brewing between a resident of one of the burnt houses and the woman who recently purchased it.

The fire, which engulfed the house at around 1 p.m. saw residents Esther Rollins and Delano Simmons losing their belongings and the places which they called home.

Rollins, who lived in the smaller of the two of the houses, told reporters that she was alerted to the fire while walking along Long Lane Upper, in the vicinity of the National Insurance Services.{{more}}

“…After coming from carrying my son lunch, I came down on the block here. When I walking coming round NIS, I hear somebody shout out my house on fire up here,” she recalled.

However, while she was speaking to the media, shouts of “She bun down the house” could be heard from the disgruntled owner of the property.

Villagers and friends had to restrain the homeowner, who was gesticulating in front of Rollins’ face, as they both participated in an expletive riddled exchange.

Rollins explained that she had been at odds with the new owner of the house, who, she claimed, wanted her out of the property immediately.

“Is a fight down going on whole week with the house issue, with the owner for the house selling the house behind my back and they fighting me down to go behind it. They want me out of it so bad that this is last thing that I would a expect them to do,” the visibly shook up woman said.

Rollins, who said that she lived in the house with her two children, claims she has nowhere to go. She explained that she had earlier that morning been given an extended time in which to clear out of the house in which she had lived since 2013.

“… Up to this morning, I went to the lawyer [to see if] they could extend the time they could give me to move…and so they agree to give me until December, because they had given me the 15th of November. They extended the time until the ending of December. This is the last thing I expect, because I have nowhere else to go,” Rollins explained.

Both women, however, have denied setting the house on fire.

Delano Simmons, a 29-year-old man, who with his girlfriend and child occupied the larger of the two houses, explained that after he saw the fire, he tried to salvage his belongings.

“I saw the fire below me and I done see is board house I got, so I say let me get me thing them out of the place before they catch,” he recalled.

While he was able to pull his television out of his house before it was destroyed, all his other possessions went up in the blaze.

“Clothes … everything, personal documents. I had a small change saving – $2,000 it gone. Right now I have nothing. My option is to stay by my mother until I catch back myself.”

Up to press time, police were still investigating the cause of the fire. (CM)