Having survived many adversities in her life, Michelle Sinanan was planning to have a thanksgiving today to celebrate her 49th birthday. However, Sinanan now has no home and hardly any belongings of her own after the property, which she shared with her common-law-husband Daniel Sammy and 17-year-old son at Coquette Street Ext, Ste Madeleine, was destroyed in a fire on Sunday.
They were at a relative’s home having dinner when the fire started.
In an interview yesterday, Sammy recalled, “When we come outside we see the house on fire. (I have) no reason why. I don’t know if it is a spiteful thing or what, but to give a reason or explanation why, I can’t say. I was not at home at the time.”
Sammy, a builder/carpenter/mason, said in 15 minutes the house that he built with his own hands almost four years ago was reduced to ashes.
“We lost everything, passport, birth paper all my certificates from my lil trade and whatever. All my tools, fridge, everything we lost, stove. We pull hose, try to pull hose with the water but it was too late because the gas tank start to explode and the board catch and we had plenty clothes and thing inside there, so everything catch up so fast and the structure was pretty much wood and galvanise, so everything gone with the fire.”
Life has not been a bed of roses for Sinanan, who was in an abusive relationship for 14 years, lost her home in a fire in 2016 and was laid off as a security guard just two months ago.
“I have been down here for about three months and this was very hurtful, knowing that I lost a home in a fire already and to come and let this happen again to me. I lost back everything. It’s really kind of traumatising but I’ll get through it,” she said.
Sinanan said the situation is especially painful for her because she lost some sentimental items.
“To tell you it was painful and it still is, because most of the things I had there was memorable, like my mom died and my sister died also, so I had stuff belonging to them that I wanted to keep and I no longer have it. But I lost everything,” Sinanan added.
She said her son, who works as a doubles vendor, will stay with a relative because it was closer to his work, but he lived with her and lost most of his belongings as well.
The couple has been given temporary lodging at a neighbour’s home but the conditions are cramped.
“Right now we really need a roof over our head right, I not comfortable staying at people’s home.”
Sammy said he will rebuild their home if he gets assistance with material.
“Is more the building material I need to build back something so we could have a roof over we head for the Christmas,” he said.
The cause of the blaze is still being investigated.
Councillor Shawn Premchand and the Princes Town Regional Corporation Disaster Management Unit have visited the family and provided them with mattresses. Anyone willing to assist them could contact 680-9109 or 374-9520.