A late-night fire on Wednesday devastated a furniture bond and a dwelling house, leaving at least seven persons homeless.
The fire at Lot 61 West Canefield, Canje Berbice, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) was reportedly detected at about 22:00h
At the time, the owner of the establishment, Deodat Kikchand was asleep but was awakened by his sister who related the news. As such, neighbours formed a bucket brigade with the intention of putting out the blaze but due to the combustible materials that were in the bond, the fire spread rapidly carrying with it immense heat.
Even though the fire service was contacted as soon as the blaze was detected, it arrived a while later with several challenges to source water.
However, Kikchand related that prior to the fire, his neighbours were burning garbage close to his fence and he believes that the fire might have spread onto his property.
The fire destroyed the front building in which he and six other family members resided. The lower flat of the building was used to store equipment and some stock.
The back building was used as a furniture bond. The 52-year-old man has been operating the furniture business for the past 32 years.
He told this publication that he had stocked up materials to fulfil a number of orders that he had taken for the upcoming holiday season.
He related that the bond had about 30 vanity dressers, more than 15 wardrobes and several pieces of equipment some of which he recently purchased and had not put into use as yet. All these were destroyed in the fire.
Kikchand said he did not have any particular place he supplied furniture to, but rather people came directly to his establishment to order. “It was like a store, people come and say what they want and we make it,” he explained.
“Me bin get a lot of furniture at the back, the whole place was full with furniture since yesterday [Wednesday] I had planned to move them to the bond…but things happened,” he expressed.
The businessman said he would have to start from scratch once again. “I got to start back fresh, I can’t do anything about it. I have to see what I can do because this is what I depend on.”
None of the equipment, buildings nor furniture were insured. The Guyana Fire Service is investigating the cause and origin of the fire.
