Fire officials confirm cause of La Plaine house fire

The house in La Plaine destroyed by fire over the weekend.

Fire officials have confirmed that a faulty fan was the cause of a fire at the Laplaine home of Mary Jno Baptiste last weekend.

“It would appear as if the fire originated from a faulty fan which was in that bedroom, and not very far from that fan there was an open wardrobe and therefore once that fan caught fire that fire itself now spread very quickly into the bedroom and eventually the rest of the house,” Fire Chief Josiah Dupuis said Monday.

The three-bedroom house, according to official reports, is a 40 by 30 feet structure and Dupuis described the incident as a “tremendous loss”.

Two individuals were in the house at the time of the fire; both escaped unhurt.

All occupants of the home are said to be doing okay now, despite their losses.

Copyright 2012 Dominica News Online, DURAVISION INC. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.

Disclaimer: The comments posted do not necessarily reflect the views of DominicaNewsOnline.com and its parent company or any individual staff member. All comments are posted subject to approval by DominicaNewsOnline.com. We never censor based on political or ideological points of view, but we do try to maintain a sensible balance between free speech and responsible moderating.

We will delete comments that:

  • contain any material which violates or infringes the rights of any person, are defamatory or harassing or are purely ad hominem attacks
  • a reasonable person would consider abusive or profane
  • contain material which violates or encourages others to violate any applicable law
  • promote prejudice or prejudicial hatred of any kind
  • refer to people arrested or charged with a crime as though they had been found guilty
  • contain links to "chain letters", pornographic or obscene movies or graphic images
  • are off-topic and/or excessively long

See our full comment/user policy/agreement.

10 Comments

  1. Anonymous
    March 22, 2011

    The Government is obsessed with China. They built a stadium and the Roof is falling apart less than 5 years of completion.
    They are building roads and the engineering is full of deficiencies and shortcuts just like their products. But don’t say anything, because they are the Government’s guests.

  2. Truth, Justice, Love, Peace and Unity
    March 22, 2011

    It is sad to hear about this incident. Do you not think that Canada, the U.S. and Europe have the identical problem?
    We are warned about those (other) Chinese electrical groundings which could explode. This has occurred in Canada – Toronto.
    It is a sad dilemma in which the world is presently in. Look at nearly every item which is purchased and you will see, “Made in China.” It is as if those other countries are not able to produce anything.
    If made in those other countries, they are expensive. This accounts for people purchasing inexpensive goods which are made in China.
    Recently I had a conversation with someone. It was pointed out to me that in previous years many products were made in Japan. What happened?
    The thought has crossed my mind. Are Dominicans aware that they should have a proper electrical grounding for those fans as a power bar/surger? I do hope that the stores in Dominica stock them.
    Cheaper is not always the best.
    The voltage should be compatible with that of the fan or any such electrical product.
    This is something that the Dominican government needs to look into for the safety of Dominicans, their houses and possessions.
    There should be a warrantee on those electrical products. If this fan was recently purchased, then the supplier is responsible for reimbursing this family for the loss of their home and possessions.
    Consult a lawyer!

  3. bar;lty
    March 22, 2011

    Sue the Chinese! those people don’t sell nothing good not only in Dominica.

  4. Perfection
    March 21, 2011

    :oops: So sorry about the sad news.Hope you get spedy recovery.

  5. KRYPTONITE
    March 21, 2011

    i can bet it was a fan from a chinese store in Roseau

    • Brain Damage
      March 21, 2011

      We have to watch well what is being bought from those chinese, just a set of fake stuffs.

    • Cassandra
      March 22, 2011

      Stores not owned by Chinese nationals also sell fans made in China. In fact, a lot of electrical- & electronic equipment, sold under reputable brand names is made in that country. It is the quality and safety of the product itself that counts. In the case of fans for instance it would be wise to spend a few dollars more and buy one that has proper self-lubricating, sealed bearings that do not overheat. Our bureau of standards has a vital role to play here in ensuring that only products fit -for -purpose are offered for sale.

  6. Dashen swamp
    March 21, 2011

    Was the fan purchased from the Chinese?

  7. Traveler
    March 21, 2011

    That was quick. Congrats to the fire Dept, for such a quick answer, however, I can’t help but ask how is it that up to now more than three months there is no report of the cause of the fire bombing of Mr. Emmanuels home???

    • Bagay ka santi
      March 21, 2011

      Because it wasn’t a fan, supposedly bought from the chinese. 8)

Post a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

:) :-D :wink: :( 8-O :lol: :-| :cry: 8) :-? :-P :-x :?: :oops: :twisted: :mrgreen: more »

 characters available