New Grant family’s home burnt on eve of son's 6th birthday

FOUR members of a New Grant family are homeless after a fire of unknown origin which destroyed their home at St Julien Road on Saturday night.

Nisha Benette, 30, said neither she nor her husband Teddy Mohammed and their children, Teneisha, 12, and Travis, were at home when the fire started.

The children are students of the St Julien Presbyterian Primary School.

Benette said Travis turns six on Monday, but there will obviously be no birthday celebration for him.

She recalled, around 7.30 pm on Saturday one of her aunts, who lives close to her, called and told her the house was on fire.

By the time the fire tenders got there, the three-bedroom wooden structure was destroyed.

“We can’t say what really happened,” a distraught Benette told the Newsday.

“TTEC police came and investigated, but we will have to wait for their report to see if it was an electrical fire.

“Nothing was lighting in the house when we left. I just went out for a short while and did not expect to come back home and find my house burnt.

“It burn straight down to the ground,” she said, her hands and body trembling.

“I am in still in shock. I feel my pressure rising. My hands are numb, but I have to be strong for my children.

“I had a lot of stuff. I lost everything. My children laptops for school, all their books, bags, uniforms, flat screen television, fridge, deep freeze, a teak bed, everything gone. I had a washing machine, that gone too.

“I would say about over $100,000 in stuff was destroyed.”

She said her brother has invited them to stay at his home, but her goal is to rebuild.

“You can’t stay by other people – family or no family – for any long period.

“I want to rebuild, but I don’t have any savings. My husband is a construction worker, but since covid19 he has not really been working regularly. He does odd jobs here and there to support our family.”

After learning of their dilemma, she said some people have dropped off items of clothing for the family.

“We would be grateful for whatever help we can get to try to put our lives back on track.”

Anyone interested in assisting the family can call her at 338-0989.