3 families lose homes in blaze

THREE homes were destroyed by fire at the hillside of Talai-Gorobe settlement at Badili, Moresby South, last  Saturday.
The cause of the fire is not known but the settlers could do little to save the homes, because they were too close to each other as the flames spread in a matter of minutes.
The lack of water in the settlement in the past two months did not help as settlers resorted to hauling sticks and stones on the roofs as the fire made its way to the next property.
The three homes wereowned by families from Lufa, Eastern Highlands province, who lost mostly personal items in the blaze.
One of the owners, Danny Kenori, said he lost all his family’s belongings, including electrical goods and appliances, sewing machines and K400 in cash.
Mr Kenori said  his family finished dinner and retired for the night when the fire alarm was raised.
Komeker Danny, another homeowner, said she lost thousands of kina worth of property.
The 40-year-old sustained severe back injuries after jumping out of her home to escape the flames.
The total estimated cost for the damages is still unknown.