Citing the risk abandoned properties pose to surrounding homes, fire officials are pressing owners to act after a blaze that began in a derelict building spread rapidly on Tuesday night, damaging seven structures and a utility pole.
According to the Saint Lucia Fire Service, the fire originated in an abandoned building in Leslie Land, Castries, often occupied by squatters, before spreading into nearby properties.
Three structures – two homes and one business – were destroyed, while four others sustained varying levels of damage. No loss of life was reported.
Officer in Charge of Fire Prevention and Safety, Owen Cazaubon, said early suppression efforts were hampered by low water pressure from the closest hydrant.
“The fire officers, in an attempt to refill their trucks, could not get sufficient pressure into the trucks so that they could suppress the fire. Therefore, they had to source water from another hydrant which was a distance away. And of course them having to leave the scene caused the fire to develop, and upon their return, the fire had spread to the adjacent buildings,” he explained.
Firefighters eventually contained and extinguished the blaze, preventing further destruction and saving four additional structures threatened by the flames.
While the exact cause remains under investigation, preliminary findings point to the abandoned building as the ignition point.
In the aftermath, the Fire Service is urging owners of abandoned or derelict properties in densely populated communities to take responsibility for securing them.
“It creates a hazard,” Cazaubon said. “As we saw, a fire started, it spread to neighbouring structures and we have persons’ homes being damaged. Right now, we have people homeless.”
Any third-party or user posts, comments, replies, and third-party entries published on the St. Lucia Times website (https://stluciatimes.com) in no way convey the thoughts, sentiments or intents of St. Lucia Times, the author of any said article or post, the website, or the business. St. Lucia Times is not responsible or liable for, and does not endorse, any comments or replies posted by users and third parties, and especially the content therein and whether it is accurate.
St. Lucia Times reserves the right to remove, screen, edit, or reinstate content posted by third parties on this website or any other online platform owned by St. Lucia Times (this includes the said user posts, comments, replies, and third-party entries) at our sole discretion for any reason or no reason, and without notice to you, or any user. For example, we may remove a comment or reply if we believe it violates any part of the St. Lucia Criminal Code, particularly section 313 which pertains to the offence of Libel. Except as required by law, we have no obligation to retain or provide you with copies of any content you as a user may post, or any other post or reply made by any third-party on this website or any other online platform owned by St. Lucia Times. All third-parties and users agree that this is a public forum, and we do not guarantee any confidentiality with respect to any content you as a user may post, or any other post or reply made by any third-party on this website. Any posts made and information disclosed by you is at your own risk.