Family of Four Loses Home to Fire in Hattieville

A family of four from Hattieville is now homeless after a fire destroyed their home early Friday morning. Oris Bailey recounted that just after midnight, she and her two children were asleep in their two-bedroom wooden house when she woke up to the smell of smoke. Realizing the house was on fire, they quickly escaped without injuries, but the house and everything inside were destroyed. Bailey’s mother, who lives in a neighboring wooden house on the same property, also had to flee for safety and suffered burns to her arm. Thankfully, her home was not damaged. When we arrived at the scene this morning, fire personnel were still investigating. We spoke with Bailey to get her account of the incident.

 

Oris Bailey, Fire Victim

“At around twelve twenty-eight, twelve thirty, I was sleeping with my two kids and between sleep and wake I smelled smoke. When I got up I smell portion of my kids room already in flames. During that time I hurry woke up my two kids and we ran through the door because the house was already in flames. Well, the only thing that was going through my mind to make sure they come out safe. With the amount of fire in the building the smoke mih thick and we mih the try save what we have put couldn’t save anything because the whole house was in fire. It is a fully furnished house, everything was completely lost. The TV, the fridge, the washing machine, the three beds, everything.”

 

Paul Lopez

“Do you have any idea what happened?”

 

Oris Bailey

“I have no idea sir, no idea. I never leave on any stove, I never have no fly fish on, leave on nothing anything, nothing mih lef on, so I don’t know how the house caught on fire.”

Paul Lopez

“In terms of the possibility of it being arson, you have any of that going through your mind as a possibility?”

 

Oris Bailey

“It could be, I don’t know how the house would catch fire if nothing was lit or left on. It could be. I done lose everything, so I don’t have anything, no clothes, my food gone, everything gone so any assistance would be greatly appreciated. And if they want to reach me they can contact 629-6524.”