A fire in the wee hours of yesterday morning claimed the life of Omsby Parris. This was all that was left of the three bedroom house. Inset, resident Earline Williams says Omsby Parris was her good friend. (CG)

by DWAYNE GREENIDGE

A wheelchair-bound elderly man died early yesterday when his house went up in flames.

And not even the valiant efforts of neighbours in Parish Land, St Philip, who rushed to help 61-year-old Omsby Parris were enough to save his life.

He became the first person for the year to die in a house fire and Acting Deputy Fire Officer Eric Rice said that Parris' death was one too many.

According to reports, Parris, who was paralysed, lived alone in a three-bedroom board and wall house. The fire took place at around 2 a.m. when three fire tenders under the command of Station Officer Glanville Collins responded to the blaze.

Neighbours heard Parris' cries for help, but the raging flames kept them at bay.

Resident Earline Williams has described the deceased as her "good friend" and lamented that it was unfortunate that Parris died under such circumstances.

Rice said yesterday's blaze underscored the need for people to practise safety precautionary measures.

"The disabled should not be sleeping alone. We need to be more caring as a society," he said.

A check with the Barbados Fire Service revealed that 19 people died in fires between the period 2000 and 2006.

In 2000, five people died. There was a slight decline in 2001, when three people perished.

The figure dropped again in 2002 when two people died.

However, in 2003, the number rose to four, while in 2004, the figure was reduced to one. In 2005, the figure had risen again to four. (DG)