Glenwood house goes up in flames – arson suspected

TENANTS at a Glenwood Bed and Breakfast have been left homeless after the building was ravaged by a sudden fire in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Forensic Fire investigators cordoned the home off this morning (Monday) while investigating the cause of the fire. However, Umbilo police are investigating a case of arson.

The Campbell Road house is run by Kenneth Okonkwo, who has been renting the property. According to Okonkwo, he had let out a client at about 3.30am on Sunday morning when the fire was first noticed.

“I opened the gate for him to leave and when I walked back inside I saw smoke coming out of the room the man had left. Usually people come here to chill out. It’s for single people and students who live here as well.”

“We called the Fire Department and they asked if the fire was still burning and I said yes, but it took about an hour before they arrived. We tried to rush everyone out but could not save our belongings. Everything is lost. The owner is not in town so we can’t speak to him,” he said.

Jodie Blessie, a former tenant at the B and B, who witnessed the fire, said she had just come back from Origin nightclub and went to the B and B to relax for a while.

“I sat in the lounge, put my phone on charge and suddenly heard an alarming scream from Kenneth. When I ran out to the room, he had already poured a bucket of water on the fire. I also grabbed a bucket and threw the water at the fire, but the fire seemed to be coming from under the bed!”

Blessie said the bed was on fire. She said she believed it was arson because the base of the bed seemed to be burning so fast.

“We both tried to contain the fire but it got too large too quick. I passed out because of smoke inhalation. A neighbour from across the road pulled me out of the burning house and I remember vomiting,” she said, still shaking after her ordeal..

Blessie was seen to by paramedics on the scene before she was taken to Addington Hospital for observation.

Alvin Naidoo, who lives on Clark Road said it was a club night so he had taken a walk towards Origin, when someone said a house was burning.

“I thought it was a joke, then saw the smoke. I tried to get to the first gate but it was locked and then tried to jump over the gate and fell into the neighbour’s yard.

“Eventually I got to the house and saw the fire with flames rising. I saw Jodie had collapsed so I managed to get her out. Another lady was locked in her room so I booted the door open and got her out. We managed to get out two couches and a mattress, but by then the fire was almost on us,” he said.

A neighbour who wished to remain anonymous said the flames were really high. He said many people from the club had come over to Baxter Park were they watched the fire, adding that some people had been moved to tears by events as they unfolded.