Fire Rips Through Home To Family of Seven in Eleuthera

Fire burning through the home of Livingston and Betty Rolle

(James' Cistern, Eleuthera, The Bahamas) - A Central Eleuthera family on Monday, suffered the loss of their beautiful home in James’ Cistern to a devastating fire that started, according to witnesses, shortly before 12 noon.

The fire completely gutted the home, consuming its contents and leaving the smoldering walls that framed the brightly painted structure.

“I woke up with smoke everywhere”, is how Deon Bowles, a nephew living in the home of Livingston and Betty Rolle, and the only person in the residence when fire broke out, described his living nightmare as he awoke to a friend of his banging on his window.  The fire, ripped through the Rolle’s home giving Deon only a brief chance to escape through the front door, with no opportunity to save anything from within the seven bedroom dwelling.

Mr. Deon Bowles describes his nightmare of being awoken to the house on fire, by a friend banging on his window

Mrs. Rolle, who said she was in shock over the loss, had gone to the wash house, north of Hatchet Bay, around 11 am and received the devastating news via a long distance call.  “My daughter called me out of Nassau and said someone sent her a text telling her to get in touch with me – that my house was on fire," she said.

"I didn’t know what was going on,” said the home owner, adding, “That’s when I came and met the house in flames!  The roof and everything was just about gone.”

According to Mrs. Rolle, two fire trucks from Governor's Harbour and Gregory Town got there after she did but were unable to save the building. "The Fire Truck in Hatchet Bay couldn't start", she added.

The single level, uninsured home, once served as a triplex but at the time of the September 6th fire, served as a comfortable dwelling for seven family members including Mr. and Mrs. Rolle, two children, and three extended family members.

For the night, the family said they would have to rely on the hospitality of close family members for a place to stay while the rubble settled and they figured out what would now happen.

In the face of such despair, Mrs. Rolle demonstrated remarkable optimism, saying, “I’m gonna take my time and I’ll get it back”.

The cause of the fire is not known at this time.