Kildonan pensioner perishes in early morning fire

Apr 11, 2017 News

An 82-year-old pensioner early yesterday morning was burnt to death in his Lot 14 Kildonan home that went up in flames.
Dead is Rudolph Ross, a former overseer at the local Neighbourhood Democratic Council; he perished after his two-storied concrete home went up in flames yesterday morning. Reports are that the fire began in Ross’s kitchen located in the upper flat.
Around 4:00 AM yesterday, neighbours awoke to screams emanating from the elderly man’s home. Upon checking they noticed smoke and flames bursting through the windows of the house at the back.
A next door neighbor, ‘Brian’, told reporters that after he heard the screams and saw the flames he immediately alerted the other neighbours to form a bucket brigade and also to figure out a swift plan to save the pensioner.
The man was still trapped in his house and yelling for ‘help’ at the top of his lungs.
The fire service was also contacted during this time. Brian stated that Ross was attempting to escape through his front window leading to his verandah but because the window was heavily grilled it prevented him from gaining an alternative exit. The doors leading to the steps were already consumed by the fire. ‘Brian’ told this publication, “After about ten minutes I hear he stop scream, so we seh he mussy done gone but we were still trying to get into the house and help out the fire.”
The fire service reportedly arrived an hour after the blaze started and immediately got to work to control the spread of the flames but by then time ‘Old man Ross’ had already perished’.
Meanwhile brother of the deceased, Ivor Ross, who lives a street away, related that he was asleep when he heard noises emanating from not too far from his home.
He said that upon ‘peeking out’ he saw a ‘glow’. He said that there was some talking but didn’t think much of it so he went back to sleep. According to the man later that morning he was awakened by a phone call from his sister informing him that his brother, Rudolph, had lost his life in a fire.
Ivor Ross who is also in his early 80’s related that his brother, Rudolph, visited him on Sunday to celebrate his birthday. That was the last time he saw him. He described the deceased as a ‘gentleman’ and a ‘good man’.
The origin of the fire is yet to be determined. However according to Divisional Commander Ian Amsterdam, the son who lived with him at the home after remigrating from abroad has since been detained and investigators are checking his alibi since there are reports that the pensioner and the said son were allegedly involved in a heated argument the day before the fire.