By Denise Clarke, Staff ReporterWESTERN BUREAU:
AN ELDERLY woman died and two families were left homeless after fire razed three homes in separate incidents in western Jamaica between Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
The body of 62-year-old Elgeth Davis was found amidst the ashes of her burntout board house in Cauldwell, Hanover on the morning of December 26.
The Constabulary Communication Network (CCN) reported that about 4:00 a.m. Friday, an occupant of the house saw fire coming from a section of the dwelling. He reportedly managed to escape through a back door and made an alarm.
One unit from the Negril Fire Department responded and put out the blaze, after which Miss Davis' body was found in the burntout building.
In St. James, the Coral Gardens police are searching for gunmen who they believe set fire to a one-bedroom board house at Flower Hill in the parish on Christmas Day.
According to the CCN, residents saw the house on fire about 8:15 p.m. and attempted to put out the blaze. However, they were reportedly prevented from doing so by gunmen who fired shots at them. No one was injured in the incident.
A truck from the Montego Bay Fire Department extinguished the fire, which left $1.2 million in damage. The house was not insured.
In the third incident, a two-bedroom board house at Black Bay in Belmont district, Westmoreland was destroyed on Christmas morning.
Residents in the area told The Gleaner that the fire department did not respond to a call when the house caught fire about 12:30 a.m. Neighbours rescued two children who were sleeping in the house at the time. The house and contents valued at $1.5 million were destroyed.
An attempt to get a response from the Fire Department on the day after the fire was unsuccessful as the Superintendent in charge was said to be out of office when The Gleaner called.
