FIRE that was allegedly caused by an illegal electricity connection on Monday destroyed two houses in Foster Lane, Southside, Kingston, leaving 20 people homeless.

The blaze was fought by firemen from the York Park and Rollington Town stations.

One of the firefighters told the Observer that he suspected an illegal connection was the cause of the fire. “The fire started in a room and although we are not yet sure, I strongly suspect that an illegal connection was the cause of the fire,” the fireman said.

Two boys who assisted the firemen in putting out the blaze pointed to a tree to which an illegal connection was made from the public electricity supply, and from which connections were made to houses in the community.

“The tree a shock and you have to look for that wire,” one of the boys said as the wire dangled dangerously.

Victor Cummings, member of Parliament for Central Kingston, where Southside is located, said the majority of fires that break out in the area were because of illegal electricity connections.

“Nine out of 10 fires are as a result of illegal connections,” Cummings said.

Last year May, 12 families were left homeless after a fire swept through their tenement homes at Fleet Street in Southside. That fire was also suspected to have been sparked by an illegal electricity connection.

Most of the persons affected by yesterday’s fire lost all of their belongings.

Eugena Thomas, 67, who was one of the persons who lost everything, said she was happy for her life. The elderly woman suffers from chronic arthritis, a condition which restricts her movement. Thomas said she would have been burnt to death if she had not been lifted from her room by another resident.

“Me hear say everything burn out, but them save me,” Thomas told the Observer as she sat on a sidewalk barefooted.

Yesterday, Cummings appealed for help for the fire victims to rebuild their homes.

“We are appealing for help with building materials so we can help them build back their homes,” Cummings pleaded.