Man dies after trying to save home from fire

A 60-year-old man who desperately tried to save his humble home from a fire has died.

David Greeves, a labourer of Navet Road, San Fernando, died at the San Fernando General Hospital on Sunday, while being treated for smoke inhalation and burns.

When officers from the Mon Repos Police Station arrived around 12.30 am, they found Greeves conscious and spoke briefly with him before he was taken for medical attention.

He explained that while preparing to cook on a fireside outside his house, he accidentally poured too much gasoline, triggering a sudden flare-up that set the structure ablaze.

Greeves told investigators he sustained burns to his legs while attempting to put out the fire. Neighbours called the Mon Repos Fire Station, and firefighters responded quickly to extinguish the blaze.

Neighbours also rushed Greeves to the hospital, where doctors performed emergency treatment and intubated him for smoke inhalation. Despite their efforts, he later succumbed to his injuries.

One resident described Greeves as a quiet, solitary man who lived with his dog in a small house at the back of a neighbour’s property.

With no wife or children visiting, they said he was mostly seen leaving for work and lamented that his life ended in such a tragic way.