Grand Bassa County — Five families have been left homeless after a devastating fire destroyed a five-room residence in the Peachuzohn Community, Buchanan on Monday afternoon.
The blaze, which eyewitnesses say spread rapidly, reduced the structure to ashes and destroyed all personal belongings, leaving occupants with only the clothes they were wearing.
The cause of the fire remains unknown.
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One of the victims, Emmanuel Peter, described the incident as shocking and heartbreaking. According to him, he had just left home for his business site when he received news that the house was on fire.
"I had just paid six months' rent not too long ago," Peter explained. "When I heard that the house on fire was the same place I live, I couldn't believe it. Everything I owned was inside. I couldn't save anything except the clothes I had on. I don't know how I will start again."
The fire reportedly began in a room occupied by Rebecca Garmondyu. Recounting the terrifying moment, Madam Garmondyu said she had stepped out briefly to bathe when she heard her children and neighbors shouting that the house was on fire.
"By the time I got back, the flames were already too strong," she said. "There was nothing in my room that could have caused the fire. We don't use mosquito coils at night. I was preparing to rest before going out to sell cool drinks when this tragedy happened."
Madam Garmondyu, a mother of six children and a grandmother, said she has lived in the house for four years. Overcome with emotion, she described her current situation as overwhelming.
"I am confused and broken. My life has started all over again. I don't know where to begin. I am calling on humanitarian organizations and good-hearted people to come to our aid because I couldn't remove a single item from the house," she pleaded.
Also affected is Felecia James, a widow raising five children following the death of her husband, Nyodo, popularly known as "Small Driver," last year.
James said she supports her children by selling cooked bowls and had recently collected 40,000 Liberian dollars from her susu savings, all of which was lost in the fire.
"I borrowed money from the Braces savings club to run my business and pay them back gradually," she explained.
"The money and everything I had were burned. I have nowhere to go with my children. I am asking everyone to help us." Residents confirmed that clothing, school materials, household items, and other valuables were completely destroyed in the blaze.
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With no savings and no alternative shelter, the affected families are appealing to government authorities, humanitarian institutions, churches, and community leaders for urgent assistance.
Their immediate needs include food, clothing, bedding, and temporary accommodation.
