Jomarie Lanza went to Hattieville and spoke to one of the victim's neighbors who saw his close friend perish in a house fire. Here's that story.

If you follow the burnt pathways in this neighbourhood here in Hattieville village it will lead you to this charred structure where a house once was. But the house wasn't the only thing that the fire took. Its owner, 63 year old Glenford Hamilton affectionately known as "Belleng" was still inside when it burned down. And his neighbour and long time old friend, Godwin Smith says that he still cannot shake the feeling that this never would have happened if persons in the village would stop burning down bushy areas so carelessly.

Godwin Smith, Fire Victim Neighbour
"When this fire I believe this fire started early like about 7:00, 8:00 in the morning, but the fire was at the street side the fire wasn't back here the fire wasn't even on this side so I was at Buttercup when my daughter called me and said daddy, a fire is over here but my daughter did not take Gerald's house into consideration because the fire was on the left hand side at the cement house so she said dad you don't have to worry, it won't get across on your side because it's at the cement house and in the next hour or so she called me again and said dad the fire has crossed to Gerald's side. So I told her to go to the neighbour and try to ask them for help."

"So she told me well they are putting out Mr Gerald's house so she said the neighbour, a girl from over there came and helped her out the house but Mr Gerald was saying he didn't feel too well so when they put out the house she didn't even see when Mr Gerald went back inside in the house she thought Mr Gerald stayed outside and went back to his job, but when I came my hog pen was burning down with all my hogs in there and she was back there, she fainted."

"A delivery truck passed by and he called us, he was blowing and he said this house is burning down over here so I left the hog pen burning down and when I came across here I couldn't do nothing but my daughter told me "belleng" is here, he was here because his bicycle is here, and I told her "belleng" is in the house. For 15 years "belleng" would not leave his bicycle out here without being in the house."

"I went out there back and when I looked, when the house already burn down an extra light started, like an extra flame came up so when I came back I looked and I got the experience from my granny she told me when a body is burning another flame will start and when I peeped in there he had already, I saw the white skull and I saw the pelvis and so I called them guys and I told them that Gerald is out here."

Smith says that he has lived in the village for 2 decades and they have lost many homes and lives due to the lack of fire fighting resources.

Godwin Smith, Fire Victim Neighbour
"I don't know who start these fires but these fires are not bush fire they are man made. Because most of the time at the back here there are 2,3, 4 fire lit on the road side and we have to out them. But my thing is I am pleading to the Hattieville villagers we need to get out and try to help our neighbors because the more neighbors who come out we would have been able to save a life this is my third fire in the last 2 or three days."

"I am trying to lobby and that because if we had a water truck at the police station the police could help we because when we call the police they can't do nothing all they do is run out here and watch the thing and, and so I am trying to lobby for them to put a water truck at the police station Hattieville is big enough, because if we can't get a fire station then put a water truck there, train the police men to drive the water truck because we can save lives we can save houses because whenever the fire trucks get here the thing has already burned down, bush fires move fast in a space of time."

And within that short time frame, this fire claimed the life of his close friend who was also like family to him

Godwin Smith, Fire Victim Neighbour
"Whenever you start your fire you make sure you clean it and observe it when you observe it you are protecting a life, it hurt me man to know that this man serve the whole village and everyone calls on him, sometimes he is working for me and they call him, everyone in this village, Gracie Rock and Hattieville, everyone knows Gerald, Gerlad helps everybody you understand and it hurts me to know I couldn't get here, it happened because this place burns every year and I was the one who is always here and make sure he isn't here and his house is protected. Gerald took care of my kids, from when they were small he carried them around, it hurts me. Everyday we sit-down and make sure at my house, we wait to make sure he comes home, if he doesn't come home we go and peep on him to make sure."

Smith says they will be holding a candlelight vigil for Hamilton tonight at his house.