The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

TWO separate house fires in West Grand Bahama on Wednesday have left several people displaced, with police investigating both blazes as possible criminal matters.

The first fire broke out around 3am in Hepburn Town, Eight Mile Rock, while a second incident later that night, around 10pm, destroyed an eight-room structure in West End.

Superintendent Nicholas Johnson confirmed that no lives were lost in either incident, adding that both fires remain under active police investigation.

In Hepburn Town, Okino Kareem Burrows said he lost everything when fire tore through the home where he was staying. He told The Tribune that he woke up shortly after 3am to use the bathroom and discovered flames coming from an unoccupied bedroom.

Despite his efforts to contain the fire, the blaze quickly spread.

“I have nothing — no documents, no clothes. Everything burned,” Mr Burrows said during a television interview on ZNS.

He believes the fire was started deliberately, claiming  a mattress was set alight in one of the rooms, triggering the blaze.

“My life is ruined. I have to start all over,” he said.

When The Tribune visited the scene, a young man was seen sifting through the charred remains for scrap metal. He said he was a friend of Mr Burrows.

Mr Burrows’ grandmother, Enid, was visibly emotional as she spoke with The Tribune. She said her grandson, who works on a fishing vessel, had gone out to sea on Thursday.

“God protected him,” she said, explaining that she raised Mr Burrows and regards him as a son. She was too distressed to continue speaking.

Mr Burrows is appealing to the public for assistance, particularly building supplies, to help rebuild the residence.

Police are continuing investigations into both fires.