A house at Sirimewangama, Pokunuwita, in the Horana area was gutted by fire on Saturday night, Horana Headquarters Police said.
The property belongs to a 37-year-old unmarried officer of the Civil Security Department, attached to the cultural troupe at the Serupita Civil Security Camp in Kalutara, Hiru News reported.
Lamp left burning
Police said the officer had lit an oil lamp in the living room and left for the temple with his mother. A neighbour telephoned him at around 7.45 p.m. to tell him the house was on fire.
Firefighters from the Horana fire brigade could not reach the house directly because it stands on a hill. Fire officers and local residents fought the blaze using alternative water sources instead.
Every part of the house except the kitchen and the bathroom was destroyed. Photographs published by Hiru show a burnt-out interior — blackened walls, a charred metal cabinet and the scorched frame of a bed amid debris.
Built on a bank loan two months ago
Police investigations established that the officer had built the house with a bank loan and had been living in it for only two months.
The exact cause of the fire has not been determined, and Horana Headquarters Police are continuing investigations.
Not reported
Police have not said whether the oil lamp is suspected as the source of the blaze, and no estimate of the value of the loss has been given. There is no indication of injuries. The size of the outstanding bank loan, and whether the property was insured, are not reported. No other newsroom reviewed had filed on the incident.
