4-Alarm fire guts Newport home

Fire fighters stop blaze from spreading

NEWPORT – After an October 3rd residence fire, the homeowner and neighbors stated that the blaze started near the garage electrical panel. The house was in the 12000 block of Mediterranean Way, near Flying Dutchman, and flames spread rapidly to engulf the interior of the home and threaten four nearby houses.

A four-alarm call for fire crews went out last Friday at 7:32 p.m. A fire crew reported the house and structure behind it was fully engaged by 7:35. Crosby’s Fire Engine 82, followed shortly by a crew from Sheldon assessed the flames as endangering structures on both sides and three behind the house. A Precinct 3 Constable Deputy, Lt. Terry Ganey, asked two young people leaving the house if there was anyone else inside.

All Crosby’s emergency units and some from Highlands were on hand for the battle by 7:49 p.m. Crosby firemen attached hydrants to spray from their Bronto-tower truck, to reach the inside, but by 7:56 even as firemen were entering the house it was obvious that only containment to the burning building was possible.

As this was the last of the Newport neighborhoods to have electricity restored after Hurricane Ike (on September 24,) six neighbors say strong winds regularly cause temporary power outages or surges. Four stated flatly they have lost appliances or electronic devices to these power anomalies. One said that the neighborhood temporarily lost power at about 2:00 p.m. September 12, a half day before the storm struck.

The home belonged to Benny and Brenda Delbosque. Their son, Danny, and his girlfriend were the only people in the house at the time the fire began. “We saw a haze inside the house upstairs. When we looked outside we saw the garage was on fire. None of the smoke alarms went off,” said Danny Delbosque, after answering ‘no’ to any lights similar to a power surge.

Alan Troppy witnessed events from his neighboring house, “From our window we saw a fire starting, we believe it ran from a breaker in the back of the garage. There must have been gas cans in the garage that exploded and caught the rest of the house on fire. We called 911 as quick as we could, ran outside and started wetting down everything so nothing else would catch fire. Two cops, an ambulance, then six or seven fire trucks showed up.”

Mrs. Brenda Delbosque stated, “My life is my family, and material things can be replaced. Such a beautiful family and wonderful friends, I have.”

Benny Delbosque guarded the remnants of the house and said through Brenda that four uninvited groups of people came by to wonder inside the house after the fire, scared off by having a flashlight shined on them. Such could be considered looting.

Brenda, an avid collector, lost all pictures of her son, Danny and asks that of the many activities they participated in over the years, if any of her friends and neighbors could share theirs of him with her.