Mysterious fire destroys family's 12 huts

A devastating and mysterious fire recently ravaged five homesteads in Chimbudzi Village, Chief Mawarire's area in Mwenezi District, leaving the Chimbudzi family homeless and in desperate need of assistance. The fire, which destroyed 12 huts, has left the affected family without shelter, food, clothing, and other essential belongings, exacerbating their plight during the rainy season.

The fire's cause remains unknown, adding to the shock and confusion that has gripped the community. Mr. Mike Chimbudzi, a family member, shared his account of the tragic event with Sunday News. "It was not raining, so we cannot blame lightning, and no one was playing with fire in the house. It started around 11am at my sister Judith's homestead, where she was outside with her daughter-in-law after she had just returned from collecting money and buying groceries," he recalled.

According to Mr. Chimbudzi, the fire began in the kitchen hut and quickly escalated. "The fire was so fierce, it was like someone had poured petrol and set the roof alight. It spread rapidly, destroying everything inside," he said. Two of the three huts at the homestead were completely consumed by flames, and a mere five days later, the fire returned to finish off the last remaining hut, leaving the family with nothing but the clothes on their backs.

In a twist of fate, when Judith and her daughter-in-law sought refuge at Judith's mother's homestead, the fire struck again. "On Friday, they slept at Judith's mother's homestead because they had nowhere else to go. But on Saturday, the hut where they had slept was set on fire, just as they were returning to their own homestead," Mr. Chimbudzi explained.

Out of fear that the fire would continue to target Judith and her daughter-in-law, other villagers refused to offer shelter. Overwhelmed by fear, the family chose to sleep outside, but their misfortune continued. "On Sunday, four huts at Judith's mother's homestead were destroyed in rapid succession, and no one dared go inside to salvage any belongings," Mr. Chimbudzi added.

The destruction did not stop there. The fire spread to Mike's elder brother's homestead, destroying three huts, and then to his younger brother's homestead, where two more huts were reduced to ashes. "The homesteads are not in the same yard, so there is no way the fire could have easily spread from one to another. The distances between them are significant," he stated.

In a bizarre turn of events, the fire returned on Monday morning to the original homestead, where it scorched the perimeter hedge made of dry tree branches and thorns. By the end of the weekend, 12 huts had been destroyed, leaving the Chimbudzi family with nothing.

Currently, Judith and her daughter-in-law are staying in a rented house at the shops, while only one asbestos-roofed house remains at the mother's homestead. The family is in dire need of assistance, especially since much of their property, including school uniforms and vital household items, was destroyed in the flames.

"Five homesteads need foodstuffs, and my sister and her daughter-in-law only have the clothes they were wearing. The loss of school uniforms is devastating, and with the rainy season upon us, rebuilding the huts is a major challenge as there is no grass for thatching," Mr. Chimbudzi explained.

The family has received only a small amount of aid from the Department of Social Welfare, in the form of a bag of maize, which Mr. Chimbudzi described as insufficient to meet the needs of the disaster-stricken family.

Chief Mawarire expressed his shock at the unusual events, describing the situation as unlike anything the community has ever witnessed. "We are dumbfounded. We have never seen anything like this," said the chief, adding that the local leadership is doing everything they can to assist the family.

The chief confirmed that efforts are being made to reach out to the District Development Co-ordinator's office and the Civil Protection Unit (CPU) for further assistance to help the Chimbudzi family recover from the devastating loss.

As the community rallies together, the Chimbudzi family remains in urgent need of shelter, food, and other basic necessities to rebuild their lives after the mysterious fire that destroyed everything they once had.