And over the weekend, firefighters were called out to Oleander Street where they manage to prevent a fire from spreading to other houses. It was after 11 on Saturday night when a blaze broke out inside a one story cement house. The neighbors hurried to help with buckets of water before the fire truck arrived. But after the smoke cleared, the department concluded the fire was an arson - set by the mentally ill resident of the home.
According to his neighbor, whose house was slightly damaged, he had been in prison for ten years after he reportedly killed his father. In prison, he'd been given medication to treat his mental illness, but now that he's out, there's no one to look after him.
The neighbor also explained that they're concerned that he might become even more dangerous. He spoke with us today.
Voice of: Kareem Eagan, Neighbor
"I was inside and it was like after 11 so, sometime after 11, I smelled a little smoke so when I smelled a little smoke I said let me try to take a peek and see more or less what is happening out there. I took a peek and saw like smoke popping up from underneath the roof and things like that so I shouted out for him, like Weber, but no response from him. Next thing I know, a two neighbors came and said they saw him go so, so everybody came out and started to assist and wet my building and wet part of his building to make the fire stop but the pressure of that fire, it wasn't stopping at all, but the good thing about that thing is when one minute after, here comes the fire engine and that's what saved the whole process but aside from that man, just that I know."
Courtney Menzies:
"What part of your house got damaged?"
Voice of: Kareem Eagan, Neighbor
"The front of that board right there and the backside, only that side got the fire but due to how we were wetting it, that's what helped it. And the same time, like what I said, I have to give thanks to the fire engine crowd because they were on time."
Courtney Menzies:
"And what can you tell us about your neighbor who lives there?"
Voice of: Kareem Eagan, Neighbor
"My neighbor really needs some help because he's going through some situation where he needs some help. He's not getting his medication to time so I don't know what kind of way or what can happen to make that man start to get his meds, that man really need a help. He, I don't know what to say, but he needs some help."
"He just came out after a 10 year situation and right straight back he came right here. And so far from since he came, things isn't too right right now because he has problem with his own people there."
"Normally, he has a problem with his people who were staying in there with him like always going through things with them but now it's by himself so he has no one to trip on so this is the reaction now."
And the station supervisor explained more about the fire department's investigation:
Kenneth Mortis, Station Supervisor, NFS
"This fellow didn't even want to cooperate with the police department, much less us, we only gathered that he had mental issues and he ignited this house on fire after having a lengthy one on one conversation with himself and then he fled the scene. We gathered that the building was uninsured and everything went up in flames."
Courtney Menzies:
"How concerning is it for you that this is a recurrent thing that we're seeing of recent mentally ill persons light these fires and then it puts people's lives in danger, people's properties and also your firefighters?"
Kenneth Mortis, Station Supervisor, NFS
"It's challenging not only for us as a fire department but for the community at large. It's one thing to try and establish what you call a home and another thing for it to just go up in flames in a matter of seconds. I don't really know what's in place for these people as a country, what kind of assistance is out there for them, the relative department that deal with these people, I really can't say and I don't want to comment on that, however, this is something that since 2023 has started this is a common trend whereby we respond to these fires and we hear that it's someone with a mental issue that's responsible for these fires, if I'm not mistaken, statistics will show that 7 of these fires are a result of somebody talking to themselves and finally setting these buildings on fire."
