Family loses home in fire

Feverish efforts by an 18-man team from the Barbados Fire Service (BFS) failed to save the home of the Cadogan family of Wellington Street, St Michael when it caught fire this afternoon.

The blaze, which occurred just before 2 p.m., quickly gutted the wooden house in the close-knit community.

Three adults and two infants were rendered homeless, but quick action by authorities resulted in the displaced family being housed in a unit in Brittons Hill.

One of the occupants, Rachan Cadogan, told reporters on the scene she was on her way home from work when she saw the inferno.

“I was by Golden Square Freedom Park when I saw a fire. So when I got closer I saw the fire from the back of the house. I called out to Ziggy and I called out for my boyfriend and I called out to other people to come and help and that is when everyone came out. It was about ten minutes to the hour of 2 o’clock,” she recalled.

BFS Station Officer Trevor Cadogan responded to the blaze with three trucks, within minutes of receiving the report.

“The first appliance was on the scene at 14:09 p.m. On arrival, one house was fully engulfed and we brought this under control in a matter of about 10 minutes. Eventually, the fire was extinguished at approximately 45 minutes,” he said.

At the scene, Barbados Labour Party candidate for The City, Corey Lane offered support to distraught resident Racquel Cadogan.

He told reporters it was heart-wrenching to see a family displaced by fire but pledged they would not be left to face this tragedy alone.

“I have been given assurances by the Prime Minister, the Minister of Housing and the NHC [ National Housing Corporation] that they will be taken care of. We have everything under control,” Lane said.
(SD)