The fire service responded an hour later but couldn’t do much to savethe house.
If Lae’s Fire Service had responded quicklythey could have saved a big portion ofthe house.
The residents say it tookthe firemen almost an hour to respond to emergency call. Bethe timethe firemen arrivedthey couldn’t do much.
The owner ofthe home says withthe help of his neighborsthey got onlytheir belongingsthey could laytheir hands on. The fire destroyedthe rest.
The fire also brought to light some ofthe outstanding concerns betweenthe National Housing Corporation andthe residents.
Some ofthe residents have been livingthere ever sincethe houses were first built decades ago. They say almost all ofthese quarters are state owned but a rundown.
thers are condemned but are still being used by public servants. They blamethe NHC for lack of maintenance.
The blaze wasn’tthe first. Three weeks ago a shop in Eriku was destroyed in anther fire. After both fires that happened in Lae this year so far, Lae residents have been highly critical ofthe fire service responds.
Andthere are also growing concerns in Lae that those fire episodes aren’tthe last.
Edwin Fidelis, National EMTV News_LAE
https://youtube.com/watch?v=A2zDI1JSBes%3Ffeature%3Doembed%26wmode%3Dopaque%26showinfo%3D0%26showsearch%3D0%26rel%3D0
