(Trinidad Guardian) Mother of three, Kemba Morris tried to save the lives of her family when fire broke out at their Siparia home yesterday morning, but sadly paid the ultimate price when she and her youngest daughter never made it out.
Morris, 42, and Zaya, eight, were found crouched together mere feet from the back door when the fire was eventually extinguished and firefighters went into the gutted home yesterday morning.
Morris’ two other children, ages 21 and 16, her younger sister Dana Phillip and another person, identified as Jamieyel Pantor, 37, survived, but the ordeal left them traumatised.
The tragedy has sent shockwaves through the quiet community of Quinam Road, with neighbours and relatives mourning their loss.
Residents also called for a properly functioning fire station in the district, since the Siparia Fire Station, which is mere minutes away from the home, did not have a functioning tender to respond. As a result, a tender from the Penal Fire Station responded but arrived almost an hour after the trouble call.
The fire started shortly after 5 am. Morris’s sister Alana Phillip, a police officer, said she was not sure how Morris was alerted that the house was on fire, but she immediately raised an alarm.
A neighbour was passing by and broke a window to alert the family that the house was on fire.
However, Morris, who usually slept in the front bedroom, was already in the process of waking up everyone.
When Morris’ two other children, her sister and Pantor got out, they realised Morris and Zaya were still in the house.
However, a rescue attempt was impossible, as the fire had already engulfed the entire house.
Yesterday, Phillip said, “She (Morris) was right there by the backdoor but like the smoke just overwhelm them because they found them crouched together in the corridor, the back door was right there.”
She said Morris’ son is asthmatic and her other daughter suffers from anxiety. After getting out the house, they were taken to the Siparia Health Facility to be examined and treated.
Phillip said her sister worked as a cashier at a bakery and was a loving and quiet person.
“Nothing don’t bother her. You can get her to do anything for you.”
Phillip said they did not know what caused the fire that destroyed her mother’s home and Morris’ car. Their mother lives abroad.