Family wakes up with house on fire

The Habig family’s thatch roof home in Tralee Street in Kenmare burnt to the ground after a fire broke out in the early hours of this morning, 29 July.

Zita Habig told the NEWS at the scene that they thought they were being burgled after hearing windows breaking in the middle of the night.

When Zita’s husband Peter went to investigate, he returned in a panic alarming his wife to get their children since their house was on fire.

Zita grabbed her children together with their two dogs and managed to get out of the house.

“When the windows started breaking, it triggered the alarm system and that’s when we thought someone was in the house. At first I couldn’t understand how someone could get into our house since our windows have steel frames with burglar bars,” Zita said to the NEWS.

By sunrise, the 1 000 square feet double story house, together with all of the Habigs’ belongings were burnt to black dust. Even their swimming pool’s water was black and murky.

Zita told police that she did not know how the fire started and did not believe another person was involved.

“I have no idea what could have happened. The only thing I can think of is that it was an electrical fault that started it.”

The family managed to escape unharmed, with only the clothes on their backs.