THE daughter and grandchildren of late Senate president Dr Linda Baboolal spent Sunday night with relatives and friends after the top floor of their three-storey home caught fire.

Speaking with Newsday at the family’s home at Hillcrest Avenue, Petit Valley, on Monday, Baboolal’s daughter, Maggie Patience said the family of five were out celebrating her son's wedding when the fire started.

“My daughter and her fiancé left early and he was hearing a noise upstairs. He thought we had returned home, so he went up to check and realised we weren't home. He was still hearing this noise, so he went up further, to the upper level of the house and saw one of the closets on fire.”

She said neighbours and her son-in-law tried to put out the blaze before fire officials arrived. She said they came quickly and attacked the fire from three sides, preventing it from spreading to the lower floors.

[caption id="attachment_971062" align="alignnone" width="945"] Maggie Patience, ((Maggie is the daughter of Dr Linda Baboolal, former President of the Senate)) speaking about the fire that destroyed the top floor of her three storey house on Hillcrest Drive Petit Valley on Sunday night. - Sureash Cholai[/caption]

The area that was burnt had four bedrooms and a gym.

Fire officials said the fire took place at about 7.45 pm on Sunday and there were no injuries. A cause is yet to be determined.

Fire officers estimated the damage at about $1 million.

Patience, part owner of Pappy’s Fried Chicken, O'Connor Street, Port of Spain, was thankful the family were out when the fire took place. She said they stayed with friends on Sunday and returned on Monday to clean, and were awaiting fire officials' clearance to enter the premises and for electricity to be returned.

She assured customers that the restaurant would be open for business as usual on Tuesday. Pappy’s is not open on Mondays.