Gareth Davis Sr, STAR Writer

A senior citizen perished Thursday night in a fire at his home at Wydah, Saint Margaret's Bay, Portland.

Firefighters in the parish recovered the charred remains of Henry Gibson, a one-legged, diabetic patient, who is believed to be in his late 70s, after battling the fire for more than an hour.

Assistant Superintendent of the Port Antonio Fire Brigade, Everald Brown, said they responded to a call at 10:05 p.m. on Thursday. Upon their arrival, the six bedroom-concrete structure was seen engulfed in flames.

"At the time of the fire, the house was also occupied by Sheila Gibson, wife of the deceased, along with her grandchild," he said.

"The woman and child managed to escape, but the body of the elderly man was found, burnt beyond recognition, in a bathroom."

The woman, who suffered minor injuries, was admitted to the Port Antonio Hospital, and is reportedly in a state of shock.

According to residents, the woman allegedly re-entered the building in search of her husband, but was forced to make a hasty retreat.

The house was fitted with reinforced grilles and firefighters believe the woman and child made their escape through a back grille.

A 2004 Toyota Rav4 motor vehicle, which was parked in the garage, was also destroyed.

Loss is estimated at $10 million. It is not yet known if the building was insured.

Meanwhile, firefighters believe the blaze may have been caused by an electrical short circuit. They are, however, still carrying out investigations to determine the origin of the fire.