Man escapes from burning home at Bel Air |01 December 2011

The fire and rescue agency said it was alerted around 1.40am about what was initially presumed to be a small bush fire. It said it dispatched a fire tender and three men.

“When we arrived at the scene, we noticed that it was in fact a very small, one compartment house made of wood and corrugated iron that was on fire. The fire had already engulfed the house, which measured about 10 by 15 feet,” said deputy chief fire officer Albert Rose.

He said from what they have noticed, the man’s dwelling had no kitchen or toilet.

After putting out the fire, the fire-fighters went to look into the debris to make sure there was no one. Finding no one, they took another road to return to the station and it was at that moment that they found the victim lying on the road, in pain but half-conscious.

Mr Rose added that from what they have gathered, Mr Wirtz came home drunk and had lit a candle as there was no electricity in the house. He then fell asleep and was awoken by the intense heat. When he got up, he was surrounded by fire. Fortunately, he managed to escape with his life.

Mr Wirtz is receiving treatment at the Seychelles Hospital.

Mr Rose said had the fire officers used the same road they had previously taken to get to the house, the victim could have been in grave danger.

Noting that this was the fourth fire in two weeks where people’s lives had been at stake, Mr Rose is calling on members of the public to be more careful when using fire.

In another incident reported at Le Niol, an 83-year-old man nearly suffocated to death after he went to sleep leaving his lunch unattended on the stove. The neighbours had to break down the door of his house to rescue him. He was still sleeping at the time.