Quick action by one of the occupants of a house at Teak Way in Barbican Terrace, St Andrew, yesterday resulted in the property being spared major damage when a fire broke out in one of the bedrooms, destroying most of the items inside.

No one was injured and the fire did not spread to other parts of the house, but the residents, who hurried to douse the flames before a unit from Half-Way-Tree Fire Station arrived, expressed fright.

A male resident told the Jamaica Observer that he was downstairs inside the house when his daughter reported smelling smoke.

“I told her that if she smelled anything, more than likely it was gas. After that I heard pop, pop, pop, pop! When mi run go upstairs, a di bed dat mi see pon fire. All I could say is ‘wah dis?’ Mi run come downstairs fi turn off the breaker because I thought it was something electrical.

“When mi go back upstairs, mi affi full up bucket and go from downstairs to upstairs to try to out it, but it was getting out of control. Di mattress was burning out a control, because a two mattress was on the bed,” he said.

“Fire also catch a shelf pon di wall, so mi just did a throw water, throw water. Some of the neighbours came over to help. They called the fire brigade and by the time the fire brigade come, dem just finish off. It was a lot of smoke,” he said.

The man said he was unsure how the fire started but reasoned that it was sheer luck that he was at home to assist with extinguishing the flames.

“If I wasn’t here, I don’t know what would have happened. The females in here couldn’t manage. Wah day yah when there was earthquake I was wondering if we get a major earthquake if these houses would withstand it, but for a fire to start in your bedroom [it] is frightening. I never see nothing frighten mi suh in my life. I never, ever think that a fire would start in my bedroom,” he said.