A senior citizen and her three grandchildren survived a fire that destroyed their Great Bay Road, St. David's home yesterday.

But the Fire Service said they had "serious concerns" for the family's safety after breathing smoke from the asbestos sheet roof which was consumed by the kitchen fire.

The home's owner, Chesleigh (Oscar) Foggo, said his wife Thelma and three grandchildren were able to get out in time. Mr. Foggo was on the property but not in the building when the fire started.

And his ten-year-old grandson Gary was the first to raise the alarm after smelling the smoke first and telling the rest of the family to get out.

"He was playing games on the television when he smelled smoke. He came back out into the kitchen and saw the stove just ablaze," Mr. Foggo said.

"Gary rushed to warn the rest of his family who were then able to get out before the fire spread to other rooms. They had to leave through the kitchen to get outside, past the ever growing flames, heat and smoke."

Neighbours tried to form a chain of water buckets when they saw the flames, but the heat and smoke became unbearable.

One eyewitnesses who did not wish to be named, said: "It was a big fire. Flames came way over on the left and came over the roof and windows on the right. The roof was popping off and ricocheting into our yard just behind our house. We got home the same time as the fire trucks. When we drove in their was a cloud of smoke."

Mr. Foggo called his grandson the hero of the day.

"He told them to get out. They did not grab any of their stuff. Life is more important. I am just very glad they are all safe and sound," he said.

And Mr. Foggo said his wooden home could not be insured.

"It has no insurance because it was a wooden house and they would not insure it," he said.

"My father built that house over 80 years ago."

However, he said he could not understand how the source of the fire was the stove as "that was a brand new stove".

"It had a gas leak two weeks ago but we called the people and they sent down someone to fix it."

"Its one of those things you read about or see on TV and think, that will never happen to me. You don't realise it could happen to you," he said.

"I just thank the Good Lord, they are all safe. I can always build a new house, or buy new clothes. The most important part is no life was lost."

Mr. Foggo said his wife was too upset to talk about the lucky escape.

"She's taking it hard ? she's lost everything," he said.

"We are both senior citizens. It's harder at this time of your life to start all over again."

Speaking at the scene as his team continued to battle the blaze, Divisional Officer Anthony Caisey said the Bermuda Fire Service received a call at 3.10 p.m.

"The first Fire Personnel to arrive were from Clearwater Station who found the fire in the home fairly involved as the fire was through the roof," he said.

Officer Caisey said Fire Personnel were not able to enter the home at first as the fire caused the roof to collapse, spreading the flames to the four other rooms in the home.

"Most of the operations were done from the exterior and we are actually still wetting down the hotspots or any fires we might have missed inside," he said.

He said the home's wooden floors were a concern in case they collapsed with fire personnel inside.

"The fire began in the kitchen area," he said. "We will concentrate our efforts there in the early going to get the information we need for our assessment."

Regarding the smoke from the burning asbestos slate roof, he said: "In the early going the roof was a serious concern because it was asbestos. We didn't want people downwind and were concerned about family members breathing the smoke that contained asbestos dust. At the moment there is a fairly steady breeze taking the smoke away from the immediate area".

Four fire engines carrying 16 firefighters from both St. George's and the Bermuda Fire Service were dispatched to the fire.

"It was a blessing there were no injuries. The only thing that caused concern was that they had to pass through the kitchen to get out".

Old wooden homes common to St. David's "were built prior to building code regulations," he said.

And he said he would prefer it if old Bermuda homes with asbestos sheet roofs were modified to more acceptable levels.

"Yes, I would prefer it if this happened sooner rather than later from a health point of view".

Police blocked off St. David's Road to general traffic until the fire was extinguished.