An early Tuesday morning fire has completely razed a Craig, East Bank Demerara (EBD) home, leaving two persons homeless.
The fire reportedly started at the Lot 436 Craig house about 08:30h; no one was at home at the time.
The owner of the house, Damien Bailey, works in the interior, while the lone occupant, who rents a room, was already at work when the fire started.
Smoke was reportedly seen billowing from the wooden structure and within minutes, the entire building was engulfed in flames. By the time the firefighters arrived, the house was already gutted.
Persons in the area noted that owing to the intensity of the heat, those who rushed to assist retreated and as such, no household items were salvaged.
Hours after the blaze, the occupant, Clement Pierre was still in disarray, claiming that he has lost a lot in the blaze. Pierre had rented a room in the house. Speaking with this publication, Pierre noted that he normally left for work about 02:00h and Tuesday morning was no different.
He explained that he worked at the Meadow Bank Wharf as a fish vendor and about 09:00h, after he was done selling, he received a phone call informing him that the house was on fire. He hurried home, but by this time, the house was already burnt down to the ground. A devastated Pierre said that when he leaves in the morning, he would usually drink a glass of juice and eat a slice of bread. “I don’t cook so there is no need to put on the stove… I either eat at meh family or in town,” he reiterated.
He also noted that before the owner of the house went into the interior he had the electricity supply disconnected.
“We can’t say that it was electric because I couldn’t even watch lil TV when I home because it ain’t got current… I don’t know what start the fire,” he noted.
He said that he was now depending on his children and other relatives to provide him with shelter, clothing and food.
Meanwhile, a neighbour who lives in an apartment building in close proximity, explained that the three water tanks at the back of the building were destroyed. He noted that he was not at home at the time of the blaze, and when he arrived at the scene, firefighters had already extinguished the flames. He added that the owner of the house had been living in that area for quite some time.
“At this time, we cannot contact him because where he is in the interior, there is no telephone signal… I am sure he will be devastated whenever he receives the news of the fire,” the young man stated.
Meanwhile, a woman who lives across the road noted that she was in her home when her grandchildren started to scream “Fire! Fire!” and as she looked out, she saw the wooden house in flames. In a trembling voice, she noted that she got confused and immediately wondered if Pierre was caught in the fire.
She calmed down after persons confirmed that he was on his way home. Officials of the Guyana Fire Service have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the blaze. (Guyana Times)
