Mother and Two Children Narrowly Escaped House Fire in Dangriga Town

Two men are facing arson charges in Dangriga Town. On Tuesday night, a century-old colonial building was engulfed in flames. At the same time, a nearby wooden home also caught fire. While the colonial building was abandoned, a mother and her two children were inside the second home. The mother believes the same men who set the colonial building on fire also targeted her house, as she saw them leaving the scene. News Five headed south today to cover the story. Here’s the report.

 

Paul Lopez, Reporting

On Tuesday night, an old colonial house on Commerce Street was engulfed in flames. By morning, firefighters were still battling the lingering embers among the ashes. The building was completely destroyed. Lisa Cheng, who lives nearby, is a relative of the property owner.

 

Lisa Cheng, Relative of Property Owner

“I closed my business, impact Dangriga around five thirty p.m. and I noticed that across the street where the big structure would have been, there was smoke coming out from the second floor. I decided to approach my neighbor who has a little food stall in front and I told her about it. We called fire department to let them know there is smoke emitting from the building. They said they would come check it out. By six o clock the entire building was engulfed in flames.”

 

The structure had been abandoned for years.  The owners had been working to dismantle the building, because it was known to harbor suspicious characters. When the fire started, residents saw two young men running away from the property. This has led many to suspect that the fire was no accident, but a deliberate act of arson.

 

Lisa Cheng

“That is our suspicion, but like I said we will leave it up to authorities. There was nothing in the building, absolutely nothing. We don’t see the reason why they would want to burn it down. We were trying to take it down. Whatever good piece of lumber or wood we were giving it to the community that they can reuse.”

 

Initially, there were reports that someone had died in the blaze. However, News Five has confirmed that these reports are false. The person thought to be dead is actually a woman who lives across from the colonial house with her two children. They discovered their front porch on fire before the first blaze got out of control. The woman suspects that the same individuals who set the colonial house on fire came back to target her home while she and her children were inside. She shared her story with us off camera.

 

Voice of: Kamila Rhaburn, Dangriga Town Resident

“I saw them leave and then I went back in my house, because the house is an abandoned building, and it is not unusual for me to see people come and leave for whatever activity was done there. I ignored it, all the signs and went back in my house to lay down. Two minutes later I smell the smoke and I came out. My house was on fire.”

 

Rhaburn sprang into action and secured her children, a plastic bag with a couple clothing items, and a television, before fleeing the house. Fortunately, fire personnel were able to quell the fire before it destroyed the entire structure with everything inside. The blaze from the colonial house, however, caused some damage to the roof siding of a third home.

 

Voice of: Kamila Rhaburn

“My two daughters are still traumatized from the ordeal. I am just happy we got our safe, you know.”

 

Paul Lopez

“There were initial reports suggesting that someone had passed away. Was the assumption that the person was you?”

 

Voice of: Kamila Rhaburn

“They assumed that it was me and my kids, because while I was in the crowd, everybody was traumatized and shocked because they thought it was me and my kids. While being in the crowd everybody, a guy came up to me and said, Ms. I heard you were in the fire, am I seeing a ghost? I said, no it is me. I was not in the fire. It is still traumatizing for me and my kids because now we are back here after all the effects and my daughter is still traumatized to even be in the house.

News Five has confirmed that surveillance footage of the two suspects has been handed over to investigators. Lisa Cheng described the blaze as the biggest fire Dangriga has ever witnessed.

 

Lisa Cheng

“It was one of the biggest fires Dangriga has ever witnessed. This building took up four parcels of land. It was half of a block here and we are grateful for the fire department. They reached. It was an old building, broken down, dry so it is going to light up fast. Their fast response along with B.E.L, they took off the electricity because the wires were beginning to spark and we are grateful that a fire hydrant is right next door. So, the two fire trucks came and attacked it. Lucky thing there was not any breeze because it could have been a lot worse.”

 

Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.