A fire, late Sunday night at Mahdia, suspected to be an act of arson, completely destroyed a two-storey house leaving several people homeless.
One of the homeless, Burthland Scotland, told this newspaper that the fire occurred some time after 11 pm on Sunday. Scotland said that on the night of the fire, he had returned home with his lady friend and child after “going out”.
He lived in the upper flat of the two-storey building for about a year and a half.
He said that they were “relaxing” when he heard the tenants — a husband and wife — who reside in the flat below his, arguing. “I heard cussing up and louvres breaking,” Scotland said. The husband, he added, was demanding entrance to the home.
“Then I heard him say ah gun bun this place with you inside,” Scotland further related. According to Scotland, his downstairs neighbours would constantly argue and make up. When the threat to set the place alight was made he said, “Me ain’t tek the thing serious because he does always make threats and then they does make up next day.”
Shortly after, Scotland said he heard “water throw” and then began to smell gasoline. “By the time we rush to the front door the flames were rushing coming up. We rush to the back door and that is how we get out,” he said.
The fire destroyed the entire building.
According to Scotland, there were no casualties but the man suspected to have started the blaze is on the run.
Efforts by residents, who doused neighbouring buildings with water, contained the blaze to the one building, Scotland said.
Scotland said that he lost everything in the fire but was unable to give a monetary estimate.
This is the second fire incident in the mining town for the month. On September 1 a fuel tanker unloading fuel burst into flames burning two men. The hose the fuel was being pumped through was said to have had a small hole which leaked gasoline. The flammable substance was ignited by a nearby kitchen flame.
On July 1 fire had gutted a large section of the community. Regional Chairman Senor Bell had since expressed concern for the safety of the community which does not have fire fighting equipment.
Following the July fire, discussions were held between the Home Affairs Ministry and the miners association on what could be done to prevent a similar disaster, Bell had told this newspaper. He had said that coming out of the discussion was a recommendation that all businesses have fire extinguishers. He said also that $10 million was raised but the money has not been used as yet.
