There were two house fires on Boxing Day and one appears to have been intentionally set. That is the fire that destroyed a two storey home at the corner of George and King Streets early on Boxing Day. It is a fire which police and fire investigators believe was set to cover a much bigger crime. Keith Swift has the story.
Keith Swift Reporting,
The charred remains of the man, still only identified as Mr. A, were found somewhere in these rubbles of the two storey building that stood at the corner of George and King Streets. It is where 61 year old Charles Smith lives and was sleeping around 1 am on Boxing Day when he smelt smoke and felt heat.
Charles Smith, Fire Victim
“I was sleeping and I felt a heat come over me and water was pouring. When I got conscious, I was under fire so I run outside. By the time I got outside
the whole top part of the building dropped in and so I stayed outside and my things got burnt up.
I don’t know what caused it up there and I don’t know what they were doing up there. They have no right up there period. That is all I could tell you.”
Keith Swift,
Do you know the gentleman that died?
Charles Smith,
“Yes they call him Mr. A.”
Keith Swift,
He lived there?
Charles Smith,
“He came like I said like ten or eleven o’clock at night and him and the next one named Rivers. They mostly come there. I don’t know the rest that goes up there at night either.”
Keith Swift,
I know you said you were sleeping but did your hear anything prior to the fire starting? Did you maybe hear an argument or something?
Charles Smith,
“Nothing.”
Kenneth Mortis, Station Supervisor – Fire Service
“At approximately 1:49 we received the call for a fire at the corner
of George and King Streets. On our arrival at that location we observed fire coming from the upper portion of a two storey building. The upper flat was made of wood and the lower part was cement. The department again got into operation to contain this fire. The fire was successfully contained but the building sustained heavy fire damage.”
But the real surprise came at 6 am when police recovered the man’s body. Station supervisor Kenneth Mortis says the fire was apparently set to cover up another crime – murder.
Kenneth Mortis,
“We were made to understand that there was an argument upstairs between two persons and shortly after the occupant of the lower building saw flames coming from the floor. He exited the building and to his surprise the upper part of the building was engulfed in fire. Seeing that there was a body found in the place, the police are now taking the matter into their hands as to what exactly transpired.
As far as the cause of the fire is concerned, for that we do not have a definite cause at this moment, our teams are investigating and we are working close with the police to see if we can come to an amicable solution to the cause of the fire.”
Keith Swift,
Do you believe it was arson?
Kenneth Mortis,
“Not trying to speculate but that would probably lead us to believe that yes it was arson.”
Arson and maybe even murder that has left this peanuts vendor homeless.
Charles Smith,
“I sleep by the park last night and I going by the Social right now to try and get help.”
Keith Swift,
What are you going to do?
Charles Smith,
“Well I have to go on with my life, try to sell my peanuts and make a little dollar; that is what I will try and do right now. I am trying to go to Social place, take this letter over there and stuff like that and try to find out where I will stay tonight; that is the point.”
Neither the house nor its contents were insured. Charles Smith doesn’t own the house – he is just the caretaker.
