A fire so far of unknown origin on Monday decimated a house located at Lot 12 Old Road, Providence, East Bank Demerara (EBD) leaving a woman, her husband and their two children homeless.
The one-storey wooden building was occupied by Natasha Hope, her husband Ceon Roberts and their two children, aged 18 and 9. The fire started at about 9:00h and at the time of the blaze, no one was at home.
The woman retrieving her son’s schoolbooks
When Guyana Times arrived at the scene, Hope related that she was at a nearby shop when a resident informed her that a house in the area was on fire. “When I reach, I see my house on fire,” she noted while adding that she lost two beloved cats in the inferno.
Hope further related that none of her family members were at home. Her nine-year-old son was at school, her daughter was by another family member and her husband had gone to work.
Upon spotting the fire, Hope explained that she ran into the burning building in a bid to retrieve her son’s school documents and was successful in saving some of them.
Fire Fighters at the scene attempting to douse the fire
She related that about $500,000 in household appliances were destroyed including a washing machine, a living room suite and kitchen appliances. However, by the time the fire service arrived at the scene, the entire house was engulfed in flames. The firefighters, nevertheless, managed to contain the fire at one location.
The Guyana Fire Service reminds all citizens to prioritise fire safety by ensuring homes and businesses are equipped with fire extinguishers, smoke detectors and smoke alarms.
An investigation into the cause of the fire has been launched by the Guyana Fire Service.
