Three persons are now homeless after 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 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.
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 he arrived, the house was engulfed.
After crossing the road, Crandon had called for her brother-in-law, Colin, who told Guyana Times when he heard her cries, there was already thick smoke coming from the building.
The alarm raised was also heard by a next-door neighbour; Nita Basdeo. She explained that the shouts did not come from the burning house. “I went upstairs and I hearing she calling she brother-in-law; Colin; me hear she call hard and when me look, before me look at she, me see plenty smoke coming out from over there.”
Residents attempted to put out the blaze, but were unsuccessful. Basdeo said she then asked a neighbour to call the Police.
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.
According to a source close to the New Amsterdam Fire Service, initial investigations revealed that residents formed a bucket brigade and attempted to douse the fire, but after realising that they could not handle it, called the professional firefighters.
The source said in such cases, it was better to initially sound an alarm then evacuate the building. Before attempts are made to extinguish the fire, the Fire Service should be alerted.
Meanwhile, the businessman estimated the damage at $10 million; however, the building was insured against fire. Neighbours were successful in moving Fyffe’s car to a safe location before he arrived. The building is owned by former Police Officer Patrick Fraser, who now resides in the USA. (Andrew Carmichael)
