In the space of 30 minutes, Kedisha Castillo and her family’s lives were turned upside down after a fire gutted their home in La Brea on Tuesday.
With nothing but the clothes on their backs, the family of four was trying their best to find a place to rest their heads for the night until they could figure out their next move.
It was the second fire for the week that has left a family homeless and third in less than a month.
Castillo, who lives in Sobo Village with her common-law husband Randy Edwards, their four-year-old son Keshorn and mother-in-law Maria Lawrence, said everything was lost.
She said she left Keshorn watching television in their bedroom around noon while she went to the bathroom. Her mother, Phyllis was visiting at the time and they were preparing to go to Point Fortin.
“While I was bathing, my mother called out to me and said that my phone was ringing. While I was on the phone, I just felt this heat. When I spun around, I saw my mother-in-law’s room on fire. I told my mother ‘look the room on fire.’ All I could have done was grab my son and run. When I ran out, there were some fellas outside. We had a barrel of water and I said ‘Allyuh look the house on fire. I need some assistance to out the fire.’ By the time they reached, it had spread to the whole house,” Castillo said.
Important documents such as identification cards, her mother’s money, court documents, death certificate and a will from her husband’s recent death along with all furniture, appliances, clothing and their Mazda 323 car were all destroyed.
Castillo said all Kershorn’s school uniforms, books and toys were destroyed.
All that remained was the pillars of the house.
Edwards was at work in Fyzabad when the fire broke out while his mother had just walked over to the mini-mart.
Point Fortin firefighters responded and extinguished the blaze. The origin of the fire has not yet been determined. Rebuilding is hard for the family as Edwards is the lone breadwinner.
Castillo said her family’s immediate need was somewhere to rest their heads as the only refuge they have found so far was not suitable for her son.