Fire leaves over 125 homeless

Fire has reportedly rendered over 125 persons in Tewor District, Grand Cape Mount County homeless. The district extends to the Bo Waterside border in Sierra Leone with a population of over 2,000 residents.

According to the Liberia Broadcasting Corporation or ELBC, the fire erupted after many residents had left for their farms and other places of work. The report says before the news could reach to other communities and towns, most of the houses in the town were in flames. Residents did not only lose homes to the fire, but also personal belongings valued more than US$1,000.

The cause of the fire was not immediately established as residents ran helter-skelter for safety after losing their personal belongings. The heavily congested community engulfed by the fire is in the heart of the county, surrounded by bustling economic activities.

Liberia had suffered dozens of fire outbreaks, leading to destruction of lives and properties. Meanwhile, residents of the town are calling on the Government of Liberia and partners, including local and international NGOs to come to their aid as they are sleeping outdoors after losing all that they had to fire.

At least seven occupants of a four-bedroom apartment died in Monrovia after fire gutted their two-storey residence in 2014 at the corner of Carey and Gurley Streets at about 1:00 A.M.
The apartment, which had a total of eight occupants, including four adults and four children, was headed by a Fulani businessman identified as Armeh Sow. Mr. Sow, along with his entire family, including his wife, brother, three children, and two sisters, who resided on the 2nd floor of the building, reportedly died in the fire.

The Liberia National fire Service or LNFS disclosed early this month that fire outbreaks across the country destroyed a total of US$20 4, 275, 95.00 plus LD$44, 4,975 worth of properties in 2015.

The director of press and public affairs at the LNFS, Col. JassahGanyan, told this paper in an interview Monday, January 11, 2016 at her office on Ashmun Street, these fire incidents were caused by illegal connection of electronic wires, candle lights, faulty generators, and unknown causes.

According to her, a total of 241 fire outbreaks occurred throughout the country last year with Montserrado County recording the highest incidents.

By Lewis S. Teh-Edited by Jonathan Browne