Three people, including a mother and her 6-year-old son, won't be home or have a home for Christmas after a fire destroyed their house on Saturday afternoon. The fire gutted the residence of accountant Pedro Vasquez at number 2 Card's Alley. Staying with Vasquez at the time of the fire was Mercedes Cardona and her young son, a child that's being blamed for possibly starting the fire.
Keith Swift Reporting,
This is all that's left of the house that stood at no. 2 Cards alley after Saturday afternoon's fire ripped through its two storeys. It is a fire which Mary Cho who lives directly across from the house saw her young neighbor start.
Mary Cho, Eyewitness
"I saw he had a black object in his hand, it was about 12inches, it was black but I can't tell you if it was cloth or rubber. I saw when he light it then from there the fire was going by his finger and then he fling it. But when he fling it, it didn't drop in the front it dropped in the back and that is where the sofa that belonged to them as well too is. That fire just blaze up and I hollered for my common-law downstairs and he tried to out it, he and my son, but it was just gone. Then from there the young man run upstairs and hollered for his mother and the lady was just jumping like she just woke up. And then within a second I just came out on the verandah and I hollered for help and thank God somebody heard my voice and they called for the fire."
Assistant Fire Chief Ted Smith says they arrived on the scene 3 minutes after they got the call but even with that quick response, time was against them. It took only a split second for house number 2 to be devoured and so they instead focused on saving the neighborhood.
Ted Smith, Assistant Fire Chief
"Number 2 was fully developed or engulfed in flames. The fire was in the free burning stage or the open phase. No. 27 which is just across the street from no. 2 had minor fire development on the southern section of the southern external wall. The fire department then immediately went into operation, our main focus was to deal with the fire first at no. 27 which was quickly dealt with and then concentration was placed on no. 2 to contain that fire before it could spread to any other structure"
Keith Swift,
As far as I can recall that area is congested so could this fire have been much worse?
Ted Smith,
"Yes the fire could have been much worse. Thanks to those neighbors who saw the fire in its very early stage, even before it got started, an eyewitness saw the fire even before it started. They saw what transpire so they were able to call us quickly."
And that eyewitness is neighbor Mary Cho who says while she can't definitively say what the little boy was playing with it - whatever it was - that is what burnt down his house and threatened hers.
Mary Cho,
"It looks like it was a rubber. To me it looks like a rubber because if it was a cloth it wouldn't burn that quick because he came back and picked up the same black thing that he threw on the sofa and dashed it to the front but then that done blaze up on the sofa."
Keith Swift,
Where was his mother?
Mary Cho,
"She was sleeping upstairs."
Keith Swift,
How scary was this for you knowing that your house was in danger?
Mary Cho,
"Oh it was very scary because I thought my house was going too and I had my baby in my hand and I was just…I don't know where to go and I didn't know what to do. I was just lost. And we were choking in the house because I was on the phone calling for police and the fire services."
It could have been much worse and while Mary Cho and her neighbors in cards alley were lucky, Assistant Fire Chief Smith says Christmas season is also fire season so he advises safety first.
Ted Smith,
"Exercise extreme caution when using electrical lighting fixtures and cooking during this time. This is a high peak season because people tend to cook and bake more, an exhaustive housewife comes from work and then straight into the house cooking, and cleaning, and baking with all the anxiety of this up coming Christmas people do these things. The risks increase and some of these stoves have never worked that hard and they will be working as we come closer to Christmas for excessive long periods. We suggest or encourage people to have them checked prior to these long use."
And while the eyewitness's story is one thing, fire officials are still investigating to determine the exact cause of the fire.