West Bay home burned to ground

(CNS): A wooden home in Birch Tree Hill Road and a boat parked outside on a trailer were completely destroyed by fire Thursday night, the Cayman Islands Fire Service revealed Monday. The elderly gentleman who was the owner of the property was able to escape the fire and has since been rehoused, officials said, as they urged people to be careful and aware of home fire risk during these challenging times.

CIFS said that firefighters were called to the “well-developed structural property fire” at 10.36pm on Thursday, 26 March, having arrived on scene eight minutes after the 911 dispatch call. They found that the owner had already escaped and the crews were able to extinguish the blaze quickly. But the wooden home and boat were already completely destroyed by the fire.

The elderly man has been rehoused with family and a full fire investigation has already begun in what was believed to be a kitchen fire.

Chief Fire Officer Paul Walker offered his best wishes to the owner following the devastating fire and thanked the fire crews and agencies involved in resolving the incident.

“I remind residents to take extra care in their homes during these challenging times where the current restrictions lead to increased home cooking and the associated risks,” he said. “CIFS continues to provide a 24-hour, 7 days a week emergency fire and rescue response, and resident safety remains our number one focus.”

Fire prevention officers urged people to never leave children in the kitchen alone and to keep matches and saucepan handles out of their reach, to avoid cooking when under the influence of alcohol and to double-check that the cooker is off when you’re finished. Lastly, fire experts reminded people to never put anything metal in the microwave.