3 homeless after fire rips through South Ruimveldt Park home

Years of hard work were reduced to ashes within minutes on Thursday after a devastating fire ripped through a two-storey home at South Ruimveldt Park, Georgetown, leaving three people homeless.
The Guyana Fire Service stated that it responded to a house on fire at 172 Sunflower Circle, South Ruimveldt, Georgetown, and upon arriving at the scene, firefighters observed a wooden and concrete building fully engulfed in flames with nearby homes under threat.
They immediately commenced coordinated firefighting operations and worked swiftly to contain the blaze, thus successfully preventing the fire from spreading to adjacent properties.
Nevertheless, as a result of the fire, the top floor of the building was destroyed, while the ground floor sustained extensive water damage.
At the time of the blaze, the house was occupied by three persons, all of whom escaped unharmed but lost the place they called home.
One of the occupants said the fire broke out just as he was leaving the house. He explained that he immediately rushed back upstairs in an effort to save some of their belongings but was forced to retreat because of the thick smoke and rapidly spreading flames.
Another occupant, Christian Profitt, recalled that he was out working when he received the devastating news and immediately rushed to the scene.
“I was actually out working taxi when I got a call saying the house was on fire. I raced home to see what was happening. Nevertheless, life still has to go on. It’s a tragedy and it hurts because this is where I rest my head. I’ve been living here for a long time – I was born and grew up here, and everyone in the village knows me,” he said whilst sadly coming to terms with the reality of his circumstances.
Profitt said only a few items were salvaged before firefighters managed to bring the blaze under control. Despite the destruction, he expressed gratitude for the swift response by the Guyana Fire Service.
“I don’t really have many losses because most of the damage downstairs is from the water. The Fire Service responded very quickly. I have somewhere else to stay for now, but this is where I originally lived.”
The fire completely destroyed the upper flat of the building, while the lower flat sustained extensive water damage. The cause of the fire remains unknown, and investigations are ongoing.