Persons residing at Lots 6 and 7, Lamaha Park, Reserve, Georgetown – also known as Guyhoc Park – are grappling with uncertainty after a devastating fire during the wee hours of today left 15 people, including children and an elderly woman, homeless.
The fire, which began at around 2:30hrs, is believed to have been deliberately set by a young woman living at one of the properties.
Neighbours reported that one of the affected homes had several apartments, with the suspect residing in one of them.
This publication understands that prior to the fire, the young woman had an argument with one of the other tenants living in the apartments.
She claimed that the man’s son had borrowed her phone to make a call but had failed to return it. The man then confronted his son, who denied the accusation, leading to a heated argument. The woman then allegedly threatened to burn down the house if her phone was not returned.
Within an hour of the confrontation, neighbours reported hearing screams, and upon investigating, they saw flames engulfing the woman’s apartment.
Allegedly, she had set her unit on fire before fleeing the scene. The blaze quickly spread, destroying the house where she lived, a mechanic shop in the yard, and the neighbouring home at Lot 7.
Kassa Hodge, a resident of Lot 7, suffered severe burns while attempting to save his home. He eventually escaped but sustained injuries to his legs, arms, and the right side of his abdomen.
Hodge told this publication that both he and his brother, who lived at the Lot 7 property, suffered significant losses, with motorcycles, laptops, and other valuable appliances destroyed in the workshop.
