Within a matter of minutes, a two-storey house at 152 Half Mile Wismar was gutted by fire last evening.
Homeless are Pauline Bonus, 47, her three children ages 28, 17 and 10, her three grandchildren: 7-year-old twins and a baby and her brother, Shane Bonus 27.
Shaking uncontrollably from the shock, Pauline said that she was asleep when she heard screams of fire and persons calling her name. “Between sleep and wake I hear dis crackling noise and smelling strong smoke and I hear people scream my name. I jumped up and rush to the front to see what was going on.”
She recounted that as she emerged from her bedroom she was faced with fire in the living room area and in a panic, scrambled through the back door to safety.
Next door neighbours said that they were on their verandah when they noticed a ball of fire in the living room area of the house. They said that they were aware that Pauline and her 10-year-old were in the house and raised an alarm as they rushed to the house. They said that the 10-year-old ran out of the house and shortly after Pauline too came out unhurt. The 28-year-old and her children were in the bottom flat and were quickly evacuated.
They said that the fire spread through the house making it impossible for them to assist in saving any of the household articles. A few pieces were taken from the bottom flat.
The fire department had challenges in containing the fire which had already engulfed the house.
The house was owned by Pauline’s mother who currently resides in Barbados. (Cathy Wilson)
