Mid-morning fire destroys building on Hanover Street

Scores of curious bystanders looked on as fire fighters battled to put out a midmorning blaze that completely gutted a small residential building adjacent to the Flossie Supermarket on Hanover Street in Roseau today. The building owned by Janice Jean-Jacques, was occupied by two men. One of the tenants, Bernard Small, an elderly-crippled gentleman at home alone at the time of the fire was trapped inside the building as it burned out of control. But by the time the Ambulance and Fire service arrived on the scene at about 11:15am, Larry JnoBaptiste, an employee of Wayne Feed Center, had already plucked Small out of the raging inferno.

Asked what motivated him to put his own life in jeopardy to rescue Small, JnoBaptiste explained, “I had to do it. I had no choice. I had to do something to help him out.” By the time JnoBaaptiste made his way to Small, he was almost entirely engulfed by the lapping tongues of fire. “It all happened so quickly,” he said. “I couldn’t walk or run. I just had to grab him and dive outside.” While JnoBaptiste escaped unscathed, Small who had to be rushed to the Princess Margaret Hospital suffered third degree burns to his back, right arm, face and ear.

Despite their quick response and valiant efforts, fire fighters were unable to save the house or its contents. They were however able to contain the fire and prevent its spread to the adjacent and surrounding properties. The Flossie Supermarket and another building to the South of the fire sustained minimal damage. Total estimated loss to the fire has not yet been assessed.

Ronald Leslie, the other tenant surmises the fire must have originated somewhere in the yard and not in the house itself. However, PRO of the Fire Department, Josiah Dupuis, informed the press that the exact cause of the fire had not yet been determined. Both the Fire and Police Departments are continuing their investigations.

Meanwhile Dupuis issued a fresh call for residents to exercise tremendous vigilance as they try to keep their homes and that of their neighbours.