Bush Fire Destroys Property; Claims Life

On Saturday, a bush fire in Hattieville Village turned tragic, burning down a small home and claiming the life of its owner. The victim, sixty-three-year-old Gerald Hamilton, was a friend, neighbor, and employee of Godwin Smith. Smith told News Five that Hamilton had helped put out a bush fire in the morning but felt sick afterward and went to lie down. Unfortunately, when another bush fire spread to Hamilton’s house early that afternoon, no one realized he was still inside. The fire quickly engulfed the home, and when villagers checked the scene, Hamilton was already dead. Godwin Smith, who was a close friend of Hamilton, shared this heartbreaking story.

 

Godwin Smith, Friend of Deceased

“My oldest son is forty-three years old, and he mind him from baby. I was living in Gracie Rock and he was there with me. I come here and we met here. So every day he come at my house, we sit down out there just to wait to see when he get in at his house. He out a first fire then apparently he went in his house. He went in the house and the car. He tell my daughter he feel bad and he went in the house. So. my place start catch over there and my daughter went over there. When he went over there, my son called from Belize and tell the wife to come and hail Gerald mek Gerald help her out the fire. But when they come here, the door was open and the bike was there and they only knock on the wall and we hail Gerald but Gerlad nuh answer, so they said Gerald mussi gone. So when I come, immediately I come and I help them out there. When I start helping them out there, then somebody passed by, one truck passed by and tell wi look, one house di burn down here. So I left the hog pen di burn and when I run come here, my daughter tell me Gerlad bike was there too. And then I tell ah definite if  Gerald bike there, then Gerald in the house. The house was burned down. When I look, I see another fire sparks open when I look there, I see Gerald head and I see a pelvis. That’s why I call some people and say a body is down here. Gerald’s body is down here.”