Sunday, May 10, 2026

Saved by ‘voice in head’

Date:

Share post:

While asleep at home on Friday night, Sophia Burt said something told her to get up.

The voice in her head ultimately helped to save her life, as she awoke to find both her mother’s nearby house and hers in flames.

Unfortunately though, all that Sophia and her mother Shirley Burt managed to save were the clothes on their backs, as the fire spread quickly, destroying the two uninsured wooden houses at Coconut Walk, Hastings, Christ Church, which were also occupied by seven other people.

Shirley, 56, shared her three-bedroom home with sons Greg, Kevin, Renaldo and Dwayne, while Sophia lived with her three children Kemar, 16, Kaneisha, 14, and Kaliyah, seven.

Eight fire officers and two tenders from the Barbados Fire Service  responded to the blaze which occurred around 9 p.m.

Ann Rudder, who rents an apartment a short distance away, allowed Sophia and her three children to share her dwellings for a night, while Shirley and her children were offered shelter nearby.

Related articles

Eight explore story illustrations at Olympus Theatres

The theatre room of the Olympus Theatres in Sheraton Mall was transformed into a space fit for the...

20 certified for careers in digital marketing

Twenty young Barbadians are now better equipped for the modern digital economy after successfully completing the Liberty Caribbean...

Saint Lucia Jazz builds momentum ahead of finale

The Saint Lucia Jazz & Arts Festival continued over the weekend with Caribbean Fusion and World Beats drawing...

$1.05 million in payouts from NCF

A full review of the National Cultural Foundation’s 2026 Crop Over competition framework shows that the state-backed cultural calendar carries...