Barrouallie family of four loses all to fire

A family of four is at a loss as to what caused their three bedroom house to be gutted by fire on the evening of Monday, February 15.{{more}}

Barrouallie residents Gilford Charles and his common-law wife Danielle Bulze, along with their nine-year-old son and six-year-old daughter, were left homeless when the house was completely burnt out in a fire, which occurred shortly after 7 p.m.

When SEARCHLIGHT visited the home, in an area called High Road, Bulze and a couple of neighbours were doing their best to clean the area.

There was nothing to salvage.

“Every single thing is gone. Not a single thing is left,” said the despondent Bulze as she swept some charred debris from the hallway of the three-bedroom house, which was once fully furnished.

Bulze explained that the family was in the living room watching SVG TV’s Evening News when her son said that he was smelling smoke.

Both Charles, a wholesaler, and Bulze, who is employed at DiscoveryWorks Legal, rushed to find the source of the smell, when they were greeted by flames coming from a bedroom used as a storeroom.

“A wall of fire just came towards us and we just had to leave – we didn’t even think to pick up anything. We just left.”

Bulze said the fire quickly spread from the room and engulfed the house. Luckily all the occupants escaped safely.

The fire blazed for almost four hours.

Bulze indicated that despite the loss, she is grateful that her family is safe.

Both are currently staying with their parents who also live in Barrouallie.

The children are staying with her until they decide their next move.

“We are contemplating our future, but right now it is too soon to say what we will do.”

“Right now we are just happy to be alive and still be a family. We really appreciate all the help that we have been receiving from our friends, relatives and co-workers,” Bulze added.

Up to press time, police were still trying to determine the cause of the fire.