A massive fire at around midday in the Kings Park area left 11 people homeless, damaged two other homes, and destroyed three vehicles. The blaze erupted at the back of a house on Simon Lamb Street, and in minutes, completely tore through the wooden structure. Neighbors worried for their own homes, evacuating and taking out whatever they could before the fire could spread. But while the blaze damaged properties, no lives were lost, and no one was injured.
Still, those living in the home - the elderly landlord and his son living upstairs, with 7 rooms downstairs occupied by 9 people - now have to start over from scratch. And according to the fire department, it was one of the tenants who started the fire.
Courtney Menzies was on the scene just after 11 this morning and has this story.
When our news team arrived at the scene of a fire on Simon Lamb Street, the blaze had already engulfed the structure - which was still standing. But within minutes, the flames destroyed the wooden building, leaving behind only charred remains and ash.
The fire raged endlessly, spreading into neighboring properties. Explosions rang out at the flames swallowed vehicles in the adjacent yard, and St Joseph Primary School was forced to evacuate its children, canceling school for the rest of the day.
And after the smoke cleared, nothing was left, not even the items that one downstairs tenant had tried to save.
Juana Gutierrez, Fire Victim
"I was lying down on the bed and the young lady that had the room beside me asked me if I lit anything so I told her no, she said but they saw smoke at the back, so right away I was on the phone, me and she run to the back, and when we ran to the back, we saw the smoke coming out from one of the rooms, done blaze, high blaze already. So I told her, let's get out our stuff, and like that we hurry took out the stuff and put it on the sidewalk, a young man came and tried to help us put the stuff on the sidewalk. But then all the stuff is on the sidewalk, the fire engine took long to come, the fire is blazing, and we are trying to bring the stuff this way, and the police is telling us no, we can't bring the stuff, all the stuff burnt up now. We ended up with nothing, nothing."
Courtney Menzies:
"What all did you manage to take out?"
Juana Gutierrez, Fire Victim
"Only this bag that I have, and this thing, because I took out my big bureau with the clothes, everything I took out, everything, my son bike, my son was staying here with me but he's with my mom right now, everything I took out and everything still burnt up on the sidewalk. I feel sick, I have an headache, I feel, I don't know. I feel lost right now."
And for the owner of the house, he's an elderly man living upstairs with his son, who said that he immediately left his job to check on his father.
Jose Gonzalez, Fire Victim/House Owner
"When they told me it was on fire, I was at the park working."
Courtney Menzies:
"When you rushed out here, what did you meet?"
Jose Gonzalez, Fire Victim/House Owner
"I done see my dad out here, and all these people were already out here. They didn't take out anything, everything destroyed, not even clothes, nothing, my dad didn't take out anything, nothing at all."
Courtney Menzies:
"And your dad, how old is he?"
Jose Gonzalez, Fire Victim/House Owner
"85."
Courtney Menzies:
"And he can't walk good?"
Jose Gonzalez, Fire Victim/House Owner
"He can't walk good."
Courtney Menzies:
"So were you worried that-"
Jose Gonzalez, Fire Victim/House Owner
"I come quick, right, because I wanted to see that he is alright."
And as the fire blazed, residents of the Kings Park area joined the fight, taking over from the firefighters, even though they wore no protective gear.
And as the fire spread, one neighbor could no longer wait and see what happened, taking matters into his own hands to extinguish the smoke that was already starting on his house.
But what started this fire that has left about ten people homeless? The station supervisor - who was also on the ground, tackling the fire - was a little cagey with that answer.
Kenneth Mortis, Station Supervisor, NFS
"What we can report so far is that the fire started at the rear bedroom of the two story wooden structure that was situation on Simon Lamb Street. This particular room was occupied by one of those unwelcome dwelling tenants so to speak. He was involved in something out of the ordinary that eventually consumed the building, spread to nearby structures, and cause vehicular damage lost to the tenants next door."
Reporter:
"Sir so it's suspected that the fire was set by somebody?"
Kenneth Mortis, Station Supervisor, NFS
"Not set with intent but due to an accident, that accident cost several people to be homeless."
"This one was a challenge for us today, it really had us where we had to be readjusting, relocating, but all in all I still want to say kudos and thanks to all those off duty firefighters and all those neighbors that assisted the fire department in getting the fire under control."
But now, all the residents of the home where the fire started are left with nothing, and they're asking for assistance.
Juana Gutierrez, Fire Victim
"Clothes, especially. I didn't even take a bath, I was just about to take a bath and comb my hair, we didn't do anything, nothing for this to happen."
Courtney Menzies:
"And do you know where you're going… where you're going to sleep tonight?"
Juana Gutierrez, Fire Victim
"I have no idea, I have to figure out, I don't know."
Jose Gonzalez, Fire Victim/House Owner
"Clothes for my dad, that is the most important thing, and things, if anybody want to help, they can help us."
Gutierrez - who also has a 4-year-old son - can be reached at 625-7483, and Gonzalez, who takes care of his elderly father, can be reached at 666-1994.
Again, those numbers are 625-7483 for Gutierrez and 666-1994 for Gonzalez.
The area rep, Kareem Musa, was also on the scene after the fire was extinguished.
