Two persons have been hospitalized while 5 others are homeless after a fire, which is suspected to have been caused by a child playing with matches, razed an Alberttown house yesterday.
Edith Wolff, 91, and a pregnant Sonia George, 35, were rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) yesterday afternoon after their home, which is situated at 76 Sixth Street Alberttown, went up in flames.
During the conflagration, which occurred around 4 pm, Wolff was struck on her shoulder by a falling beam while she was trying to escape. Meanwhile, George, although she had no visible injuries, appeared to be unconscious.
Four children who also occupied the house – Joshua, Antonio, Shania and Shaquan George – ranging in ages from 4 to 10 years old, managed to escape unharmed.
Although the origin of the fire is sketchy, reports are that the 4-year-old was allegedly playing with matches in one of the two bedrooms of the wooden house.
According to the owner, 57-year-old Edward Oudkerk, who is Wolff’s son and was also an occupant of the house, he was in Carmichael Street when he got the news that his house was on fire.
He said he was told that the four-year-old was with his siblings in one room and he sneaked over to the other room where he apparently caused the fire.
Oudkerk said he would usually warn the children when he left to go to work that they should not play with matches.
Weeping he said his losses were estimated at some $7 million.
Asked what his next move was, he replied, crying, “I will see what I will do.
If I have to work double to build back my house, I will work. I don’t have nowhere to go now. I don’t know what I will do…”
Oudkerk said that if the fire was indeed caused by the child, he would not scold or reject him since he was a child and made a mistake but warned that it will be something that he will never forget for as long as he lives.
