Afternoon fire destroys a wooden house in St. James

MARIGOT–Fire destroyed a house in St. James on Friday afternoon at around 4:30pm, but fortunately there were no injuries or fatalities.

The fire was located at the top of the street (Voie no. 4) on the right side of Rue de Hollande, near Unique Supermarket, in a wooden house located at the back of a larger concrete house.

Fire Brigade’s Lt. Jean-Michel Brisard said the origin of the fire was a BBQ grill that was in use in the yard of the house. Apparently a gust of wind sent the flames out of control.
The one-level wooden house with corrugated tin roof was completely destroyed. The fire also spread to the hillside on the opposite side of the yard, but was brought under control.
Brisard added it took about an hour and a half to extinguish the fire. Aside from four senior fire officers, some 10 firemen and three trucks responded to the incident. Gendarmes and Territorial Police were also present.
This fire once again underscores the difficulties the Fire Brigade faces in getting access with their hoses. The fire was located around 500 metres up a very steep concrete road. Two fire trucks, one behind each other, were able to get as close as they could on the steep incline.
A third fire truck remained on the main road transferring water to the other two from the nearest fire hydrant located a long way further down Rue de Hollande, opposite the street Voie no. 14. An Annicette Water Truck was also on standby if needed.