“It hurts” – says mother of five who lost home to fire

-says she is now victim to cyber bullying

The house that was destroyed by the fire

A mother of five is now displaced after the first home she owned went up into flames, less than three years after she moved into it. The fire occurred at Blue Berry Hill, Wismar, Linden around 11:45 hrs on Thursday. “It is really sad, after years of moving from place to place, I finally got somewhere to call home and it hurts,” 35-year-old Orlene Holder said.

Holder said she left the home to render some assistance to the teachers at a nearby school, since they were moving over into another building; the school was less than five minutes away from her home. Her five children, the eldest being age 10, were left in the home, but it was not locked. “The house was not locked, they could have opened the door and come out at any time,” she told INFO 10.

During this time, a neighbour saw smoke emanating from the house and the children were screaming, according to the police. She then opened the door and removed the children, before the entire one-storey concrete house went up in flames. “The only thing they were able to save were the clothes on the line,” the distraught Holder said.

She said the home, along with the neighbour’s, was in darkness a few nights before for some time and the electrical technicians came and fixed the issue, the same thing however occurred earlier on Thursday. She however cannot confirm whether the fire was of electrical origin.

She also said she does not know if anyone set the house on fire. “I don’t have any problem with anyone, I am not a person like that,” she said. Holder and her five children are now seeking refuge at her sister’s home. The house that was burnt down, was given to her by her father.

She said after reports in some sections of the media suggest that she abandoned her children, persons have been messaging her on messenger with harsh comments that are further affecting her mentally, emotionally and psychologically. Holder estimated her losses at $5 M. Police said Investigation is ongoing.