After receiving reports that their home was on fire, an East Bank Berbice couple rushed to their residence, only to discover that the structure was completely flattened by the flames, and that the Fire Service had not initially been called.
No one was at home at the time of the fire, which occurred at around 10:00h on Wednesday at Sisters Village, East Bank Berbice, (Region Six: East Berbice-Corentyne).
Derwin DeCuna, a farmer, said he and his wife, a domestic worker, were at work while their two children, aged eight and 17, were at school.
Derwin DeCuna watching at the debris of his home
The farmer said he received information, at about 10:00h, that his home was destroyed by fire, but he did not believe. He eventually decided to check on his home, and when he arrived, several persons were gathered in front of his home.
“When I come, I see everything burn down flat. I take four years to build this lil house; me and the wife, we use to work till night building. We still working to extend this house, and now we don’t have any house,” DeCuna said as tears rolled down his cheeks.
“Last week we paid down for some material (wood) – we not finished. We were to extend the house and raise it up so we could put a kitchen downstairs. Right now we can’t extend, and I don’t know if I would build back a wood house and somebody come again and burn it down,” the man sobbed.
The couple believes that the fire was deliberately set. They note that the building was not connected to the national grid. In fact, the house, a building 14 feet by 22 feet, was powered solely by solar energy.
Meanwhile, Divisional Fire Officer Clive McDonald has said initial investigations revealed that the fire was maliciously set.
According to DeCuna, all of the documents, including passports and photographs, were destroyed in the fire.
“The gas stove, microwave and everything burn…the bicycle burn up in half. Everything that we had: certificates, the engine, and everything that we had, we had receipts to show; and all of them burn up. The only thing that save was the washing machine, because that was away from the house, in the bathroom.”
DeCuna said the heat from the fire also destroyed much of his crops, including nursery pants which he sold to make a living.
Meanwhile, the Fire Service is investigating. (G4)
