Ten left homeless in $2M blaze

Michael Lee, STAR Writer

Fire-fighters believe a three-year-old child is responsible for a fire that destroyed a seven-bedroom dwelling that housed 10 people on York Street in Franklin Town, Kingston.

According to Assistant Superintendent of the York Park Fire Station, Dennis Lyons, investigations revealed that the child was playing with a lighter in the bed before the fire started. Lyons also indicated that there was no indication of electrical problems or any cooking being done.

The fire, which began shortly after 5 p.m., destroyed the entire building and damage is estimated at $2.6 million.

Deloris Campbell, 39, who lives at the residence, said there were four persons at the house, including herself and the child, when the fire began. Campbell said she was outside washing when a little girl, age seven, alerted her about the fire.

She made a desperate attempt to save what she could but the smoke was too much for her. She lost everything. "I could not see anything, the fire was too high and there was smoke everywhere" said Campbell.

Andrew Hall, Campbell's common-law husband, was happy no one was hurt, but upset about the incident.

Hall was on the road when he received the call about the fire. "I left her and my three-year-old son and then I received a call that the house was on fire" he said.

It took three fire units, two from the York Park and one from Rollington Town, to extinguish the blaze.