Mark Beckford, Sunday Gleaner Writer

Residents of 20 Campden Road in Maverly, St. Andrew, will have to start over from scratch in 2007 as fire destroyed a 10-bedroom house yesterday. The fire, which started between 4:30 and 4:45 p.m., has left 14 adults and 10 children homeless.

Fire units from the Half-Way Tree, York Town and Denham Town fire stations responded to the blaze, but fire officials say by the time they arrived, the house was completely engulfed in fire. The cause of the fire and the resulting loss was not ascertained by fire officials up to press time, but the impact it will have on the persons who lived in the house is already telling.

Nothing saved

"Nothing at all, not even a panty I get to save," said Rose Marie Coleman, a distressed occupant of the house. Coleman said that the cause of the fire was probably due to a defective washing machine. Ms. Coleman, who will celebrate her birthday in a week's time, said that nothing was salvaged from the fire.

"My cousin find out about the fire first. Him kick off the door, but when him kick off the door the smoke was too heavy so him did have to back off, everybody did haffi back off, so we did not get to save anything at all."

Owner of the house, Alicia Witter, was optimistic and was grateful that no one was injured in the blaze. "Life goes on, from none a the children no get hurt or nobody no burn up in a it, life goes on. We just have to take it one day at a time," she said. Ms. Witter, however, appealed for help to get back on her feet. Neither the house nor its contents were insured.