HARBEL, Margibi – Early Christmas morning, a fire disaster made at least 48 occupants of an 11-bedroom house homeless. All of their personal belongings were destroyed as the result of the fire, which gutted the house while they were asleep.

Although there were no human casualties, the fire destroyed all of their personal belongings.

In an interview with The Bush Chicken, Bill Reeves, a 40-year-old father of eleven children who are now homeless, said he is struggling to make ends meet since the incident. Finding shelter and replacing personal possessions are among their biggest challenges.

“We don’t have anything to start life with because we were sleeping when the fire gutted the house and I ran out with only underwear,” Reeves said. “We are sleeping on the porches of our neighbors and we have no hope to make a life now.”

Reeves, who worked as a local mechanic, said that if humanitarian groups and philanthropists do nothing to give them aid, it will be difficult to rebuild their lives, as about 20 children are out of school as a result of the fire.

Louise Reeves told The Bush Chicken the destroyed house was inherited from her father, but she said that she currently cannot afford to rebuild the house and that all efforts to receive aid have not attracted any support.

Nine low-income families occupied the 11-bedroom house. Photo: Emmanuel Degleh

During a visit to Dolo town after the fire, the victims were seen sitting in front of their burnt home while they prepared a meal. Nine low-income families occupied the 11-bedroom house and they told The Bush Chicken that the fire disaster has already made their daily hustle even more difficult.

The homeless families are currently staying with friends and family members but they expressed disappointment that the situation had suggested to inhumane conditions.

When contacted, Margibi fire service chief James Freeman said he was not aware of the situation, owing to the fact that there is no Liberia national fire service officer assigned to the lower end of Margibi, where the incident occurred.

Freeman said his administration has inadequate manpower and lacks the logistical skills to respond to sudden fire outbreaks, as their response primarily retroactive instead of proactive.

Featured photo by Emmanuel Degleh