The Tribune

By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

A MASSIVE fire early Saturday morning left four families homeless and “devastated” days before Christmas.

The blaze ripped through the two-story apartment complex on Eden Street shortly after 3am destroying everything inside.

When The Tribune arrived on the scene Sunday afternoon, two of the residents were standing in the street in front of the place they once called home, watching the smoke rise from the wooden structure that was still smouldering.

Natasha St Fleur, 23, a single mother of one, said if it were not for her brother arriving home early that morning, she and the 11 other people who lived in that building would all be dead.

“He came home around 3am. I was fast asleep with my little boy, who is five, when my brother came home from being out with his girlfriend. He saw the apartment downstairs was on fire and shouted to everyone to get out. He ran upstairs and grabbed my little boy,” she said.

“I still did not get up, when he noticed I wasn’t following him, he came back upstairs and kicked me in the arm and said ‘Get up, the house is on fire’. We went downstairs and at that point everything wasn’t burning – it was just the one apartment downstairs and my place is right on top of it. My whole room was full of smoke.

“We got some water and threw it on the flames but we did not realise the fire was inside, we only saw a window on the outside. But when we threw the water, the fire got bigger and we realised that the fire was too long gone. In about 20 minutes, the whole house burned to the ground.”

While she said she is devastated to have lost everything in the fire, especially ahead of the holidays, she thanks God she is alive. She said apart from a small gash on her forehead, no one was hurt.

Nelson Feuietil, 62, said he doesn’t know what he going to do and how he is going to take care of his girls who are 12, 13 and 17.

“Everything is gone. To God be the glory that we are alive, but we have no papers, no passports, my work permit is gone. What if immigration comes? My children lost everything and I can’t even begin to think how much it will cost to get their clothing and stuff back.”

Fire Chief Walter Evans said it took three teams of firefighters nearly five hours to extinguish the blaze.

“We got the call shortly before 4am, that a multi-room apartment was on fire. There was need for additional support so we called officers from the Cable Beach Fire Station and Paradise Island to assist. They were able to contain the fire around 8am.”

Mr Evans said police have no cause for the fire, but their investigations continue.

However, Ms St Fleur said officers on the scene told her that the blaze was started by a fire in the lower right apartment that did not have electricity.

“I believe it was arson though. The fire spread way too fast, it was way too massive to be from a candle,” she said.

If you would like to donate to the families affected by the blaze, you can call 423-7529 or drop off items at Mountain Top Church of God on Eden Street.