A fire believed to be electrical in origin gutted a two-storey dwelling at East Canje, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).
Shortly before midday, smoke was reportedly seen coming from a wall close to a fuse box.
At the time, Narsha Crandon was at home alone. Without attempting to tackle the fire, she called her husband, Garfield Fyffe, informed him of the situation and urged him to return quickly.
Firefighters trying to put out the blaze
Crandon said she was in the kitchen when she saw smoke coming from the front of the house in the vicinity of the fuse box.
She then fled the house and crossed the road to her brother-in-law’s yard and waited for him to return from the shop. Neighbours were successful in moving Fyffe’s car to a safe location before he arrived.
Meanwhile, Fyffe, who operates a block-making business, said he had gone to purchase sand when he was told that there was smoke in the house. He told this publication that he instructed his wife to leave the house.
When the Guyana Fire Service arrived, the building was already engulfed. The fire department responded with three units and was successful in containing the fire to one building.
The block maker estimated the damages around $10 million; however, the building he noted was insured against fire.
