Senior Multimedia Reporter
radhica.sookraj@guardian.co.tt
A historic South Oropouche landmark was reduced to ashes yesterday morning after fire destroyed the abandoned post office and former warden’s office, with flames spreading to the roof of a neighbouring home where 15 people, including Venezuelan migrants, live.
The fire broke out shortly after midday at the long-abandoned wooden post office on the Southern Main Road. Although the building was destroyed, firefighters managed to prevent the blaze from engulfing the adjoining home of Pundit Vishnu Maharaj.
Maharaj, who has lived in the area for many years, said he immediately contacted emergency services after spotting the blaze.
“That place was on fire. I called emergency one time,” he said.
While part of his roof sustained fire damage, Maharaj said he was relieved firefighters prevented the flames from spreading further.
“I haven’t estimated the damage yet, but I saw the roof was almost on fire. I’m glad it didn’t catch properly because there are 15 people living here,” he said.
Maharaj said several Venezuelan migrants rent apartments at his property, but fortunately they were not displaced by the fire.
“The apartments are still in good condition. Only part of the roof was damaged, so it wasn’t going to affect them,” he said.
He also praised the Trinidad and Tobago Fire Service for responding quickly.
“The fire service was timely and accurate. They were good guys,” Maharaj said.
Siparia Regional Corporation Mayor and councillor for the area, Doodnath Mayrhoo, said the abandoned post office and neighbouring warden’s office were important pieces of the community’s history.
“I received a call about an hour earlier indicating that a building was on fire. By the time I arrived, the old post office had been completely destroyed because it was a wooden structure,” he said.
Mayrhoo said the post office had been abandoned for between 20 and 30 years, while the adjacent building had once housed the area’s warden’s office.
“That was a very historic landmark, and so too was the warden’s office next door. Many of us remember those buildings from when we were children more than 50 years ago,” he said.
He said once the official fire report is completed, the corporation will work with relevant state agencies to assist Maharaj in repairing his home.
Mayrhoo also called for the State to preserve the site’s historical significance, suggesting the land could be redeveloped into a public facility or used to expand services offered by the Siparia Regional Corporation.
“If there are no plans for the land, I will be asking the minister to consider transferring it to the corporation so we can build something beneficial for the community,” he said.
The mayor lamented the loss of another piece of Trinidad and Tobago’s architectural heritage, saying many old public buildings could have been restored and repurposed instead of being left to deteriorate.
“We are losing our historic values. These beautiful buildings from 40, 50, 60 and even 70 years ago could have been preserved as museums or heritage sites to teach future generations about our history,” he said.
Mayrhoo said the abandoned building had no electricity, but homeless people were known to shelter there from time to time. Residents reported seeing smoke before the blaze intensified, but no one saw anyone leaving the building.
La Brea MP Clyde Elder also visited the scene.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
