Woman set on fire in morning blaze that leaves 10 homeless

Witnesses told Cayman 27 a woman was set on fire, igniting an early morning structure fire that broke out behind a Shedden Road business today (27 December.)

Cayman 27 understands the blaze left 10 people homeless, and sent three victims to the hospital with burns.

Multiple witnesses shared disturbing accounts of a woman being doused with a flammable liquid and then set on fire. Those accounts, we must mention, are not confirmed by police.

“Everything, I lost everything: passport, book, clothes, money,” said Shaunette Foster.

Ms. Foster is one of ten people now homeless after an early morning fire at this home behind Archie’s Bar on Shedden Road.

“Somebody called me and said Portia, Portia, and the place was on fire, I saw, and rush out,” said Ms. Foster.

She told Cayman 27 she suffered burns trying to retrieve her passport from the building in those chaotic moments. Three were sent to the Cayman Islands Hospital, including one fellow resident Ms. Foster said was left in even worse shape.

“Miss Carmen,” said Ms. Foster. “I see her in the hospital in bad condition, yeah.”

“I think all her skin burn off her body,” said Pearl Seymour, a friend of one of the victims.

Ms. Seymour said how that blaze started, and what she said caused her friend’s terrible burns is shocking.

“Like somebody, knock her door, and she open the door, and then throw gasoline on her, set her on fire, and spinning inside the house, the fire gets away from her, she come outside and them roll her on the ground to get the fire off her, and them call the ambulance for her and take her to the hospital,” Ms. Seymour told Cayman 27.

Witnesses said a man fled the scene and may have been bitten or otherwise injured during his escape by a neighbour’s dog.

Police told Cayman 27 the cause of the fire is under investigation, and would not confirm any details from these witness accounts.

“I don’t think she’s done anyone any problem, she don’t a person like warified person, and I think she is good to everybody,” said Ms. Seymour of her friend, whom she called a good woman.

Ms. Seymour said she hopes her friend can supply police with the clues they need to bring the man behind this disturbing attack to justice.

“The only person who know who do this is the person named Carmen, she seen the persons face, so she alone know who doing it, so if she can speak, I think the police should go to the hospital and find out if she can speak, this is very bad,” said Ms. Seymour.

The Cayman Islands Fire Serviced extinguished the fire. A CIFS representative told Cayman 27 police are taking the lead in the investigation.

You can call Justina at , or Shaunette Foster at for more information on how to help victims of the fire now left homeless.