Fire destroys house in Agricola – female occupant appeals for help

Reports are that the fire begun around 01:45hrs when an occupant of the upper flat of the home allegedly lit the house afire.

When this online publication arrived at the scene the entire upper flat of the two storeyed house was completely destroyed while the lower flat was badly damaged.

INews was told that the owner of the house, Collette (only name given) was not at home when the fire took place.

However,  it was her brother who was in the building and who is accused of starting the fire.

A neighbour of the sister and brother told INews that the young woman had left her home for Georgetown and had not yet returned when they saw smoke and flames coming from the house.

Collete’s brother, who is said to be of unsound mind, had threatened to light the house afire before the blaze took place, the neighbour related.

“When we all realise fire take over the house we rushed out to help and we see him standing on the road. He then started running from us so we hold him and start beat him but he run away….he then turn himself in at the police outpost here in Agricola,” the neighbour explained.

The neighbour stated that three fire tenders arrived at the scene some 25 minutes after the Guyana Fire Service was alerted of the incident.

“They come one right after the other like they were waiting on each other but they all take too long man. If they had come like 10 minutes before they reach they could have saved at least half the house. But I don’t know, we think they take too long,” he said in the local dialect.

Meanwhile, a female neighbour told this online publication that she was in her house and heard another neighbour screaming “fire!” It was when she looked outside her window that she realised the house next door was burning.

“I see the smoke and I see the flames and then everyone start running out to see what we could do but we couldn’t do much because the heat was way too much for us to handle getting close. Collette work hard and furnish that house and now everything just gone up in flames,” she lamented.

When Collette arrived at the scene and saw her upper flat completely destroyed she was at a loss for words.

The young woman was so distraught and traumatised that she broke a glass bottle with the intention of harming herself but residents in the area restrained her from doing so.

INews understands that Collete had been in the city when she received a telephone call from a police officer notifying her that her house was on fire.

“I was in town and someone called saying they from Agricola station and that my house on fire. I say to myself that is one of my friends ex-girlfriend making some stupid joke. But still I come home and when I see this here I don’t even know what to say,” was all she could say to this online publication.

Her friends told INews that the 28-year-old woman takes care of her younger brother ever since her parents passed away.

Investigations are presently ongoing into the matter and her brother is said to be in police custody at present.

However Collette is appealing to kind-hearted persons to assist her in some form so that she can at least get a bed to sleep and other necessities during this trying time.