Sascha Wilson
Complaints about the state of the Fire Service were revived yesterday following a fire in Penal which left four people, including a 12-year-old girl, homeless.
The fire started around 2.45 am while Anil Sundar, 45, and his family were asleep in their home at Seebalack Trace, Rochard Road.
Sundar recalled: “We heard crackling sounds like sounds of broken glass and I alerted my wife. When we exited the room the house was completely covered in smoke. We woke my dad, and by the time we exited, the house was completely engulfed in fire.”
He believes the blaze started in a back room which has been unoccupied since the death of his mother two years ago.
The family lost everything apart from the clothes on their backs and Sundar, who said he was dissatisfied with the response of the Fire Service, believes his home would not have been destroyed if they were better equipped.
“Yes, they responded but poorly because in less than ten minutes they had no water. Then we had to wait for the other fire truck which came long after. They had to go around looking for a hydrant. They had no ladders, they had no headlights, they had nothing. The fire officers were willing but they were really strapped with resources. Thank God nobody was trapped,” he said.
“We have a so-called state-of-the-art Fire Service in Penal yet still there was no tender to respond to the fire. Something needs to be done because I sure there will be in the future other people who will suffer.”
Sundar estimated his losses to be roughly $1.5 million. His home was insured.
Next-door neighbour Ferose Abdool said he and his son tried to douse the blaze and prevent the flames from spreading to his property.
“It was early hours in the morning when we were woken up by a lot of noise, a lot of crying and shouting and screaming, plus the explosive noise like cracking noise and when we woke up we discovered my neighbour’s house on fire,” he said.
Abdool said the response of the Fire Service was “not only unacceptable, it is disgusting.”
Assistant Chief Fire Officer Ansar Ali said fire appliances from Penal, Siparia and Santa Flora responded and there was a supply of water at all times. He said the Fire Service received the call at 3.14 am and a tender from Penal was dispatched.
“They arrived at 3.35, they made a request for pumps two (request for a backup water supply) at 3.20 am, that’s before they left.”
Ali said Siparia arrived at the scene at 3.50 am and Penal left at that time to replenish the tank.
“Whilst they out Santa Flora came,” he said.
Complaints about the state of the Fire Service have increased since the deaths on April 2 of a mother and daughter in a house fire in Siparia.
